Abstract: A method for executing orders assigned to a plurality of robots operating in a warehouse, including receiving an order with a plurality of items, each item associated with an item location. The method includes defining a plurality of regions and identifying the regions which include at least one item location associated with the order received by the robot. The method also includes determining, from the regions identified, which regions which include at least one operator and assessing criteria relating to a current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the regions having at least one operator. The method further includes selecting an item location to which the robot is to navigate from a current location based on an assessment of criteria relating to the current location of the robot and to the item locations associated with the regions in which are located at least one operator.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for robot congestion management including a robot monitoring server configured to track a location of a plurality of robots within a navigational space and a plurality of robots in communication with the robot monitoring server, each robot including a processor and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to determine, from a task list assigned to the robot, a first pose location corresponding to a first task, receive, from the robot monitoring server, congestion information associated with the first pose location, identify a congested state of the first pose location indicated by the congestion information, select, responsive to the identification of the congested state, a second task from the task list, and navigate to a second pose location corresponding to the second task.

Abstract: Systems and methods for presorting and executing robot-assisted putaway tasks in a navigational space include assigning each of a plurality of item storage arrays to one of a plurality of zones defined within the navigational space, scanning an item identifier of at least one of a plurality of unsorted items to be stored at locations throughout the warehouse, retrieving, in response to receiving identifying information corresponding to the at least one scanned unsorted item, item data describing a storage location for putaway within the warehouse of each of the at least one scanned items, determining, from the storage location, a corresponding one of the plurality of zones of the warehouse in which the storage location is located, and placing each scanned unsorted item into an interconnected container of one of the item storage arrays assigned to the corresponding one of the zones.

Abstract: A method for predicting a collision between a mobile robot and an obstacle in an environment includes obtaining laser scan data for the mobile robot at a current location in the environment. The method also includes predicting a future location of the mobile robot in the environment and producing predicted laser scan data corresponding to the future location of the mobile robot in the environment. The method further includes assessing the predicted laser scan data relative to the mobile robot at the current location to determine whether a collision with an obstacle is predicted.

Abstract: Processes are provided for dynamically sorting and storing items in a warehouse without the need for presorting items and without delaying or negatively impacting the efficiency of operators in the warehouse. Items are individually scanned and placed in totes of a tote-array provided on a mobile robot. An optimized route is calculated based on the items in the tote-array, and the robot navigates to a first location on the route. When the item has been put away, a replacement item is placed in the just-emptied tote of the tote-array, and an updated route is calculated. A robot capable of navigating to predefined locations for storing items is a warehouse is provided.

Abstract: A method for rolling shutter compensation for a camera sensor mounted on a moving vehicle includes estimating, based on a plurality of images of an object, a speed and a direction of movement of the vehicle; acquiring an additional image of the object having four corners; estimating a location of each of the four corners of the object in an image plane defined by the additional image; determining a corrected location in 3D space for each of the four corners of the object; determining a first compensated location for each of the four corners of the object in the image plane; determining a second compensated location for each of the four corners of the object in the image plane; and determining a difference between the first compensated locations of the four corners of the object and the second compensated locations of the four corners of the object.

Abstract: A method and system for data retrieval in an enterprise portal application. The method and system include receiving, in a data access layer, a request for object data from a business logic layer. The method and system further includes validating, by a schema layer in communication with the data access layer, that cache data of a cache and data of one or more databases of the enterprise portal application are synchronized. The cache data may include table data and index data of the one or more databases of the enterprise portal application. The method and system further include retrieving, if the cache is validated, table data from the cache, and returning the object data to the business logic layer, the object data corresponding to the retrieved table data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for contextually mapping zones within a space for regulating robotic navigation within the space include defining, by at least one fiducial marker positioned within the space, a zone within the space, associating a rule with the zone, the rule at least partially dictating operation of one or more robots within the zone, and operating the one or more robots within the zone consistent with the rule.

Abstract: Systems and methods for proximate robot object detection and avoidance are provided herein which include a receiver in electronic communication with an autonomous robot and configured to receive a broadcast message from a beacon, a processor, and a memory, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to detect, based on the received broadcast message, a proximity of the beacon to the autonomous robot, determine, from the received broadcast message, a beacon status, the beacon status indicating whether the beacon is stationary, approaching the autonomous robot, or withdrawing from the autonomous robot, identify, according to the detected proximity and the determined beacon status, a corresponding proximity operation, and control the autonomous robot to stop an ordinary operation and operate according to the identified proximity operation.

Abstract: A method for assigning orders to a plurality of robots fulfilling orders in a warehouse with the assistance of a plurality of operators. The method includes providing a first robot of the plurality of robots to a be assigned an order set, including one or more orders to be fulfilled and assessing the locations of at least one of the plurality of robots or at least one of the plurality of operators in the warehouse. The method also includes selecting an anchor location in the warehouse and generating an order set for the first robot correlated to the anchor location in the warehouse. The method also includes assigning the order set to the first robot for fulfillment.

Abstract: A mobile robot configured to drive on a surface with irregularities, comprising: a chassis having a front end facing a forward direction of travel, a back end, a first side, and a second side. There is a first drive wheel rigidly affixed to the chassis proximate the first side and interconnected to a motor to propel it. There is a second drive wheel rigidly affixed to the chassis proximate the second side and interconnected to a motor to propel it. A first caster assembly is rigidly affixed to the chassis proximate the front end and includes a first caster wheel configured to rotate about a first swivel axis. A second caster assembly is rigidly affixed to the chassis proximate the back end and includes a second caster wheel configured to rotate about a second swivel axis and it includes a compliant member to absorb the irregularities.

Abstract: Systems and methods for robot assisted personnel routing including a plurality of autonomous robots operating within a navigational space, each robot including a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the autonomous robot to detect completion of a task operation by a human operator, receive status information corresponding to at least one other robot, the status information including at least one of a location or a wait time associated with the other robot, determine, from the status information, at least one next task recommendation for directing the human operator to a next robot for a next task operation, and render, on a display of the robot, the at least one next task recommendation for viewing by the human operator, the next task recommendation including a location of the next robot corresponding to the next task.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for improving operator performance by robot gamification, the method including parking a robot at a pose location within a navigational space, identifying, by a sensor in electronic communication with an interactive display device, an operator located within a zone proximate the robot for acquiring an item to be picked, receiving, at the interactive display device, operator performance data associated with the acquiring of the item, and rendering, on the interactive display device in response to the received operator performance data, at least one graphic representation of operator achievement within a gamified performance tracking environment.

Abstract: A method for recommending a tote type for an operator to select for use in robot induction process, wherein the robot operates under the control of a warehouse management system to fulfill orders, each order including one or more items and each item being located in a warehouse. The method includes grouping one or more orders from an order queue to form at least one order set. The method also includes identifying, based on a characteristic of the at least one order set, a preferred tote type to be assigned to the robot to carry the order set on the robot. The method further includes communicating to an operator the preferred tote type to enable the operator to select from a plurality of totes a tote of the preferred tote type to assign to the robot for execution of the order.

Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing database changes in an enterprise portal application. The system has a cache storing cache data having table data and index data of one or more databases. A schema layer generates schema objects representing the schema of the databases of the cache data. A change management system and a schema layer validates a cache of one or more databases and synchronizes the cache data to the databases by receiving a changeset, comparing the changeset to the schema data, verifying that the changeset is compatible with the cache data and the schema data, and passing the changeset to the cache for updating the cache data or for refreshing the schema data by the schema layer.

Abstract: A method and system for navigation of a robot along a goal path and avoiding obstacles. The method includes receiving goal pose for one or more robots and determining a goal path for a first robot while avoiding moving and fixed obstacles of a received obstacle map. A first objective function is evaluated to select a preferred velocity from a generated set of candidate velocities, the selecting based on one or more weighted cost functions. A set of velocity obstacles created based on the poses of the one or more robots and the preferred velocity is used in evaluating a second objective function to determine the motion of the robot in the next time cycle. Creating the set of velocity objects includes converting the preferred velocity from a non-holonomic to a holonomic velocity.