Warehouse Robot Dispatching for Cross-Workstation Container Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In intelligent warehousing systems, robots adopting a 'return before retrieve' policy often result in inefficient utilization and reduced performance due to not being in a high load state during workstation transfers, leading to wasted robot utilization and decreased efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A robot dispatching method that controls a first robot to move to a second workstation after placing a required container on the first workstation, allowing it to place a matching container from its load on the second workstation, thereby performing cross-workstation operations in a single task, reducing retrieval and return times, and enhancing efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a robot adopts a 'return before retrieve' policy to place containers back to shelving units, then the robot completes the return task, but the robot is not in a high load state during workstation transfers, resulting in wasted robot utilization and reduced overall efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the container placement task at the first workstation with a container retrieval task at a second workstation into a single robot operation. The robot places a container at the first workstation and then retrieves a container at the second workstation during the same task cycle, eliminating the need to return to the shelving unit separately. This combines multiple useful actions into one operation, improving robot utilization and overall efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent enables the robot to continuously perform useful actions by retrieving containers at a second workstation during the transfer phase. Instead of having idle time during container placement and return operations, the robot maintains a high load state throughout the task by simultaneously performing placement at one workstation and retrieval at another, ensuring continuous productive operation.
2Productivity
If a robot performs separate tasks for container placement and return operations, then each task is completed individually, but the frequency of retrieval and return operations increases, reducing system performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines container placement at the first workstation with container retrieval at the second workstation into a single integrated task. The robot places a container at workstation one and then retrieves a container at workstation two during the same operational cycle, eliminating separate return trips to shelving units. This merging reduces the total number of operations and the time lost to retrieval and return movements.
3Extent of automation
If a robot follows traditional 'return before retrieve' policy, then the robot completes return operations first, but the robot operates at lower utilization levels, affecting warehouse automation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional 'return before retrieve' sequence by performing retrieval at a second workstation during the container placement phase at the first workstation. Instead of returning to shelving units before retrieving new containers, the robot retrieves containers at the second workstation while placing containers at the first workstation, maintaining a high load state throughout the operation and improving automation efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
This application provides a robot dispatching method and apparatus. According to the method of this application, a first robot is controlled to move to a second workstation and to place a required container of a second order to the second workstation after the first robot places a required container of a first order to the first workstation, so that the first robot can perform an operation of depositing containers across workstations during a single task of transporting containers. In this way, as many containers as possible can be placed on the workstations in the single task of transporting containers, which reduces times of retrieving and returning containers, thereby improving the overall efficiency and performance of an intelligent warehousing system.