Mobile Picker Robot Sequencing for Warehouse Travel Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inventory management and order fulfillment systems become complex and unscalable as the number of items or orders increases, often requiring unnecessary travel and repetitive tasks, especially in environments with a high variety of SKUs and unpredictable order patterns.
Innovation Solution
A integrated storage, retrieval, sequencing, kitting, and delivery system that uses standardized trays and mobile robots to combine picking and compiling operations near storage locations, eliminating the need for fixed conveyors and reducing travel distances, with a conveyor-less transport system that supports high-volume and high-mix orders.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If goods are moved to stationary picker workstations, then picking operations can be performed at fixed locations, but all items must be moved to retrieve even one low-volume target item, increasing travel time and system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of moving goods to stationary pickers, the patent inverts the approach by bringing the picker to the goods. The mobile picker robot travels to storage locations and retrieves items, eliminating the need to move all items to a fixed workstation and reducing unnecessary travel time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a mobile picker robot that dynamically moves between storage locations based on picking requirements. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to different order configurations and retrieve only necessary items, improving operational efficiency while minimizing travel time.
2Ease of operation
If a moveable picker travels throughout the warehouse to select goods, then picking can occur at storage locations, but the picker is forced to travel the same route repeatedly, exceeding many miles per day
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a controller that receives order information and determines optimal picking routes based on real-time data. The controller directs the mobile picker to retrieve items in an efficient sequence, providing feedback that minimizes travel distance and avoids repetitive routes while maintaining picking flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-processes order information to determine the optimal picking sequence before the mobile picker begins its route. This preliminary planning allows the picker to follow an optimized path that minimizes travel distance while still providing the flexibility to access various storage locations.
3Productivity
If item selection and order assembly are performed in separate sequential steps, then each process can be specialized, but the process becomes unmanageable as the number of items or orders increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines item selection and order assembly into a single integrated process performed by the mobile picker robot. As the robot retrieves items according to the optimized route, it simultaneously assembles complete orders, eliminating the need for separate specialized stations and reducing system complexity while maintaining high throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile picker robot performs multiple functions: it travels to storage locations, selects individual items, and assembles complete orders. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would traditionally require separate specialized systems, reducing overall system complexity while improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A system employing an automated system for the storage and retrieval of items is described. The system includes a corresponding cart system that can be accessed by the storage system to create a sequenced batch of items that can be removed or inducted in a single transaction. The system can include a tower with a middle-mounted drive system.