Stocking Assistant Robot with Perpendicular Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stocking items on store shelves is a costly and time-consuming process, particularly during night shifts when worker resources are limited, and involves continuous lifting and bending, leading to fatigue and potential injuries.
Innovation Solution
A stocking assistant robot with a base plate, wheels, and actuators that move supports perpendicular to the base plate, equipped with a controller to identify items, determine stock locations, and operate electric motors to move items to appropriate shelves, reducing the need for manual labor and minimizing fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual stocking operations are used, then workers can flexibly handle various items, but productivity is low and worker fatigue increases due to continuous lifting and bending
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs stocking operations autonomously by identifying items, determining stock locations, navigating to shelves, and placing items without continuous human intervention. The system serves itself by automatically completing the entire stocking workflow from item identification to shelf placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of workers lifting and placing items with an automated robotic system. The robot uses sensors for item identification, processors for location determination, and mechanical arms for item manipulation, substituting human physical labor with automated mechanical operations.
2Productivity
If more workers are hired to increase stocking capacity, then productivity improves, but labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robot autonomously performs stocking operations without requiring human operators for each task. It independently identifies items, determines locations, navigates to shelves, and places items, eliminating the need for additional human labor to increase stocking capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters from human-based manual stocking to automated robotic stocking. This parameter change includes transitioning from human perception to sensor-based item identification, from human decision-making to algorithm-based location determination, and from manual item handling to robotic arm manipulation.
3Reliability
If night shift operations are used to stock shelves, then store availability is maintained, but worker resources are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The robot operates autonomously during night shifts without requiring human workers. It independently performs all stocking tasks including item identification, location determination, navigation, and placement, maintaining store availability while overcoming the limitation of reduced human resources during nighttime operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A stocking assistant robot includes a base plate, one or more wheels coupled to the base plate, a first support coupled to the base plate, and a second support coupled to the base plate, wherein the first support is configured to move perpendicular to the base plate and the second support is configured to move perpendicular to the base plate. The stocking assistant robot also includes a first actuator configured to move the first support perpendicular to the base plate, and a second actuator configured to move the second support perpendicular to the base plate. The stocking assistant robot identifies an item, determines a stock location based on the identified item, operates one or more electric motors coupled to the one or more wheels based on the stock location, and moves the first support or the second support perpendicular to the base plate based on the stock location.