Parcel Handling Coordination for Fast Mobile Robot Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current warehouse operations face inefficiencies due to the limitations of loosely integrated mobile manipulator robots, which struggle to perform complex tasks with speed and accuracy, often requiring multiple specialized robots and frequent human-robot handoffs, and are constrained by safety regulations that reduce their operational speed and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
A highly integrated mobile manipulator robot system with holistic control strategies and mechanical design enables coordinated motion between the mobile base and robotic arm, allowing for efficient and safe operation by using a computing system to control parcel handling equipment, maintaining a safe distance and coordinating movements with parcel handling equipment to avoid collisions and optimize workflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mobile robots operate at high speed in warehouse environments, then productivity is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential collisions with workers and equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces parcel handling equipment as an intermediary system that mediates between mobile robots and warehouse workers/equipment. The equipment includes sensors to detect robot positions and control systems to adjust conveyor speeds and directions, creating a buffer zone that enables high-speed robot operation while preventing direct collision risks with workers and other equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where sensors on the parcel handling equipment detect robot positions and movements, transmit this information to control systems, which then adjust equipment operations in real-time. This feedback mechanism allows the system to respond dynamically to robot movements, maintaining safe operational speeds and preventing collisions while maximizing productivity.
2Productivity
If mobile robots are integrated with parcel handling equipment, then workflow efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The parcel handling equipment is designed with multi-functionality to handle various robot types and warehouse operations through standardized interfaces. The control system can manage different conveyor configurations (fixed, movable, telescopic) and coordinate with multiple robots simultaneously, reducing the need for specialized equipment for each function and simplifying overall system integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is divided into modular components including separate sensor systems, control units, and conveyor sections that can be independently configured and maintained. This segmentation allows for easier integration and troubleshooting, reducing the operational complexity despite the advanced coordination capabilities between robots and parcel handling equipment.
3Speed
If mobile robots maintain close proximity to parcel handling equipment for efficient parcel transfer, then transfer speed is improved, but collision risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The parcel handling equipment employs dynamic adjustment capabilities where conveyor speeds, positions, and orientations are continuously modified based on real-time robot positions. Movable and telescopic conveyor sections can extend or retract to maintain optimal transfer distances, enabling high-speed parcel transfer while dynamically preventing collisions through adaptive positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A kit includes a computing device configured to control motion of equipment for receiving one or more parcels in an environment of a mobile robot. The kit also includes a structure configured to couple to the equipment. The structure comprises an identifier configured to be sensed by a sensor of the mobile robot.