Warehouse Robot and Selector Coordination for Faster Order Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current warehouse management systems face inefficiencies in order picking processes due to manual navigation and coordination of pallet transports and order selectors, leading to increased travel times and reduced pick rates.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic allocation and coordination system that utilizes auto-navigating robotic vehicles and centrally dispatched roaming order selectors, where robotic vehicles follow pre-defined routes and order selectors are dynamically dispatched to meet them at pick locations, optimizing navigation instructions based on vehicle and selector locations to reduce travel distances and times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual navigation and coordination of pallet transports and order selectors is used, then operational flexibility is maintained, but travel times increase and pick rates decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical navigation with an automated navigation system that uses electronic maps, GPS coordinates, and computer-generated instructions to guide pallet transports and order selectors through the warehouse, thereby reducing travel time and increasing pick rate
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables pallet transports to navigate autonomously by receiving automated navigation instructions that include turn-by-turn guidance, allowing the transport system to self-manage its movement without constant human intervention, thus reducing travel time
2Loss of time
If automated navigation instructions are provided to pallet transports, then travel time is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a central server as an intermediary that processes warehouse layout data, generates optimized routes, and provides navigation instructions to pallet transports. This mediator simplifies the complexity by centralizing the computational burden rather than embedding complex navigation logic in each transport unit
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a digital copy or electronic map of the physical warehouse layout, storing it in a database. This virtual representation allows the system to calculate routes and provide navigation instructions without physically mapping the warehouse in real-time, reducing system complexity
3Productivity
If order selectors are dynamically dispatched to meet vehicles, then pick rate increases, but coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors the locations of both pallet transports and order selectors, and dynamically adjusts navigation instructions to ensure selectors arrive at pick locations in time to load items, thereby increasing pick rate while managing coordination complexity through real-time information exchange
Data Source
AI summary
Dynamic allocation and coordination of auto-navigating vehicles uses robotic vehicles and centrally dispatched roaming order selectors to create a significantly more efficient, yet flexible, approach to picking goods within a warehouse. Robotic vehicles are configured to be loaded with goods from pick faces to fill orders. Each robotic vehicle follows a route that includes appropriate pick face locations. The robotic vehicles navigate from pick face to pick face where particular goods are located. Order selectors are dynamically and independently dispatched to meet the robotic vehicles at their pick face locations to load goods. Movement of the order selectors is orchestrated to increase efficiency in the order filling process within the warehouse.