Automated Recirculating Sortation Stations With Dynamic Bin Assignment
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing parcel distribution systems are inefficient and inflexible, requiring large numbers of collection bins, significant space, and human labor for sorting and monitoring, with limitations on throughput and number of diverts due to reliance on manual sorting and fixed bin assignments.
Innovation Solution
A programmable motion device system with end effectors that identify and move objects to designated processing containers based on identifying indicia, using a central control system to manage conveyance and dynamic bin assignments, reducing the need for fixed bin assignments and optimizing object processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large number of collection bins are used to sort all objects to all destinations at once, then the sorting capacity and throughput are improved, but the physical space requirements, investment costs, and operating costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The sortation process is divided into multiple passes, with each pass handling a subset of destinations. Objects are sorted in stages rather than all at once, allowing the system to achieve high throughput while using a limited number of bins at any given time. The system segments the sorting task temporally and spatially.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically reconfigures bin assignments between passes. Bins are not permanently dedicated to specific destinations but are reassigned based on the current pass requirements. This dynamic reallocation allows the same physical bins to serve multiple destinations across different passes, reducing the total number of bins needed.
2Ease of operation
If fixed bin assignments are used for each destination, then the system simplicity and ease of operation are improved, but the system flexibility and adaptability to varying object volumes decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Bin assignments are dynamically changed between passes rather than being fixed. The system controller manages the reconfiguration of which bins receive objects for which destinations in each pass. This allows the system to maintain simplicity of operation while adapting to different sorting requirements and object volumes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system maintains continuous operation by immediately reconfiguring bins for the next pass without idle time. Objects that missed their destination in one pass are carried forward to subsequent passes, ensuring continuous productive action and maximizing system utilization.
3Ease of operation
If human workers continuously count items in bins and perform sortation manually, then the system ease of operation and adaptability are improved, but the throughput is limited and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically tracks object volumes in bins and manages the sortation process without continuous human intervention. Sensors and controllers monitor bin contents and object flow, enabling the system to self-manage the sortation operation while maintaining the ability to handle varying volumes efficiently.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to monitor object volumes in bins and adjust operations accordingly. This feedback enables automatic detection of when bins are full or when reconfiguration is needed, replacing manual counting while maintaining system adaptability to varying object volumes.
4Adaptability or versatility
If a large number of diverts are arranged within reach of human workers, then the number of destinations and sorting options are improved, but the physical space and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The sortation system divides the sorting task into multiple passes, with each pass handling a manageable subset of destinations. This segmentation allows the system to support a large total number of diverts and destinations without requiring all of them to be simultaneously accessible, thereby reducing physical space requirements and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds the time dimension to the sortation process by implementing multi-pass sorting. Instead of arranging all diverts in a single spatial plane within worker reach, the system distributes diverts across multiple passes in time, allowing complex sortation capabilities without proportional increases in spatial complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of processing objects using a programmable motion device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing an input conveyance system by which input bins of objects may be provided to a processing station that includes the programmable motion device that includes an end effector, perceiving at the processing station identifying indicia representative of an identity of a plurality of objects at an input area of the input conveyance system, grasping the an acquired object using the end effector, moving the acquired object toward an identified processing container using the programmable motion device, the identified processing container being associated with the identifying indicia and said identified processing container being provided as one of a plurality of processing containers at the processing station, and providing an output conveyance system in communication with the processing station, by which processing containers that contain processed objects may be provided.