Warehouse Robot Scheduling via Shelf Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot transferring solutions in warehousing systems, such as CTU, four-way shuttle vehicle, and single STU, suffer from inefficiencies including slow lifting speeds, limited lifting heights, and conflicts when multiple robots operate on the same guide rail, affecting overall logistics efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system for robot scheduling that divides the goods shelf into multiple areas based on attribute information and placement rules, assigning each area to a specific transfer robot, ensuring concurrent operations without conflicts by controlling the robots to move within their designated areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple transfer robots operate on the same guide rail, then the productivity of the warehousing system is improved, but conflicts occur between robots affecting system reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The guide rail is divided into multiple independent work areas, with each area assigned to a specific transfer robot. This segmentation prevents robots from interfering with each other's operations while maintaining high productivity through parallel processing of multiple goods shelves simultaneously.
2Productivity
If a single transfer robot serves the entire goods shelf, then device complexity is reduced, but the productivity of the warehousing system decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The goods shelf is divided into multiple goods shelf areas, with each area corresponding to at least one transfer robot. This segmentation enables parallel operations across multiple areas, significantly improving productivity while the scheduling device manages robot coordination through standardized protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduling device serves multiple transfer robots simultaneously, coordinating their operations across different goods shelf areas. This universal control approach manages complexity by providing a centralized intelligence that handles robot assignment, conflict resolution, and task distribution.
3Productivity
If multiple transfer robots share the same work area, then productivity increases, but conflicts arise affecting ease of operation
Solution Approach 1:
The work area is segmented into distinct goods shelf areas, with each area assigned to specific transfer robots. This spatial segmentation eliminates conflicts by ensuring that robots operate independently within their designated areas, maintaining ease of operation while enabling parallel processing for high productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A robot scheduling system, which relates to the technical field of logistics, and is used for solving the problem of the logistics efficiency of a warehousing system not being high. The system comprises a scheduling device and a rack (101), wherein the rack (101) corresponds to a plurality of transfer robots (102); the scheduling device is in communication connection with the plurality of transfer robots (102); and the scheduling device is configured to control, upon receiving an order instruction for instructing the transfer of goods in a target rack area, a transfer robot (102) corresponding to the target rack area to operate, the target rack area is one of a plurality of rack areas which are obtained by means of partitioning the rack (101) in the lengthwise direction and/or the depthwise direction of the rack (101) on the basis of attribute information of the rack (101) and/or a placement rule for goods on the rack (101), and one rack area at least corresponds to one transfer robot (102). Further provided are a robot scheduling method and a storage medium.