Autonomous Robot Shelf Arrangement for Semiconductor Transport
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Solution Overview
Problem
The efficiency of transporting articles using autonomous driving robots in semiconductor manufacturing processes is a concern due to issues with contamination, damage, and delivery accidents, necessitating improved transport methods and robot designs.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous driving robot equipped with a storage unit, a manipulator featuring a linear actuator and a selective compliance articulated robot arm (SCARA arm), and a transport unit that moves on the floor, allowing for efficient article handling and movement within semiconductor manufacturing lines, with shelves arranged to maximize space and minimize overlap, enabling effective loading and unloading of articles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If shelves are arranged to maximize space utilization in the storage unit, then the number of articles that can be stored increases, but the manipulator's ability to access and handle articles may be restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensional optimization by arranging shelves in a multi-level vertical configuration rather than simple horizontal stacking. The shelves are positioned at different heights and depths within the storage unit, creating a three-dimensional storage structure that maximizes space utilization while maintaining access corridors for the manipulator. This spatial arrangement allows the manipulator to reach articles on different shelves without requiring the entire storage volume to be accessible from all directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The storage unit is segmented into multiple independent shelves that can be individually accessed. Each shelf is designed as a separate storage level with specific capacity and positioning, allowing the manipulator to service one shelf at a time without being blocked by other shelves. This segmentation enables the system to store more articles overall while maintaining ease of operation through targeted, sequential access to individual shelf sections.
2Productivity
If the storage unit is designed with larger capacity to convey more articles, then transport efficiency improves, but the robot's footprint and space occupation increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested configuration where multiple shelves are vertically stacked within the storage unit housing, with each shelf containing articles in a compact arrangement. The shelves are positioned to utilize vertical space efficiently, with articles nested on each level. This nested structure allows the storage unit to hold a large number of articles while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint, thereby improving transport efficiency without significantly increasing the robot's overall space occupation.
3Volume of stationary object
If shelves are positioned to maximize storage density, then the number of articles per unit volume increases, but the manipulator requires more vertical space to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality optimization by varying the vertical spacing between shelves based on local requirements. Shelves are positioned with different intervals depending on the access needs of the manipulator and the size of articles stored on each shelf. Upper shelves may have tighter spacing for smaller items, while lower shelves have greater clearance for manipulator access. This non-uniform vertical arrangement maximizes overall storage density while ensuring sufficient vertical space is allocated at critical locations for manipulator operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous driving robot includes a storage unit including a housing, which provides a space for storing an article, and a shelf which is provided inside the housing and on which the article is loaded, a manipulator including a linear actuator, and a selective compliance articulated robot arm, which is coupled to the linear actuator, and a transport unit coupled to the storage unit, wherein a plurality of shelves are provided, some of the shelves are provided adjacent to one inner wall of the housing and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the other shelves are provided adjacent to another inner wall which faces the one inner wall and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the plurality of shelves extend toward a central portion of the housing, but extend to a point before reaching the central portion of the housing.