Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle includes an elevator including a base on which a holding device is provided, a plurality of suspension attaching portions to which each of the plurality of belts are attached and supporting the base to be vertically movable from below in a vertical direction via a vibration isolator, and a lock mechanism that fixes a relative positional relation between each of the plurality of suspension attaching portions and the base. The overhead transport vehicle further includes a controller that controls so that the lock mechanism is locked to fix a relative position relation at least partially during elevating operation of the elevator and also controls so that the lock mechanism is unlocked by releasing the lock at least partially during traveling operation of a body unit.

Abstract: A travelling vehicle includes a body including a small marker and a large marker, an imager, a pattern recognizer, and a state determiner. The large marker includes a display pattern including a first region, a second region with a lower reflectance than a reflectance of the first region, and a region where the small marker is located. The small marker has a display pattern including a third region with a lower reflectance than the reflectance of the first region and a fourth region with a lower reflectance than the reflectance of the third region and a lower reflectance than the reflectance of the second region.

Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval system includes: an automated storage including racks each of which includes shelf units in tiers in a vertical direction, where each shelf unit can store loads, and transport vehicles each of which moves along the corresponding ones of shelf units and includes a first transfer device that transfers a load to and from each rack; relay devices each of which transports a load transferred by the first transfer device in a corresponding one of the transport vehicles; and a lift and transport device that includes a second transfer device that transfers a load to and from each relay device, and raises or lowers the second transfer device. The second transfer device includes at least one arm that extends to a route along which the relay device transports a load, and transfers a load based on forward or backward movement of the at least one arm.

Abstract: In a motor system, a switcher selectively switches a target motor, which is a target to be supplied with electric power output by a motor driver and a target to be detected for a current by a current sensor, among a plurality of motors. The switcher cyclically switches the target motor among the plurality of motors. When the current of the target motor is detected by the current sensor, the motor driver is controlled to output the electric power based on a PWM duty ratio computed based on the current, at a timing when the motor in which the current is detected is again the target motor, in a cycle after the cycle in which the current is detected.

Abstract: A stocker includes a crane to travel on a travel route, a maintenance area on an extension of the travel route, a controller to cause the crane to travel toward the maintenance area, a first sensor to detect that the crane is positioned at an entry position, and a second sensor to detect that the crane has arrived at a stop position. The controller is configured or programmed to control the crane to decelerate in accordance with a detection result of the first sensor and control the crane to stop in accordance with a detection result of the second sensor.

Abstract: An overhead transport system includes an overhead transport vehicle including a conveyor and a body, and a controller. The conveyor includes wheels to travel on rails including straight rails and intersection rails alternately arranged with a gap in each of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The controller is configured or programmed to execute steering control to steer the wheels in a state in which each of the wheels is positioned on one of the intersection rails different from one another. A steering center of the wheel under the steering control is on the intersection rail and inward of the body from a ground contact point of the wheel on the intersection rail.

Abstract: A transport system includes a vehicle, a dispenser, a body controller, a vehicle controller, and a restart command generator. When the transport system is stopped due to a problem and then the restart command generator commands a restart of the transport system, the body controller transmits check information to the vehicle controller. The vehicle controller performs a consistency process based on check information when the transport system is normal and check information when the restart of the transport system is commanded. If there is a vehicle determined to have a problem by the consistency process, the vehicle controller commands the body controller to cancel the check information regarding the vehicle and/or to dispense an article supported by the vehicle for transport to the dispenser.

Abstract: A transporter includes a traveling body, a supporting body including first and second members with relative positions that can be mutually changed, a first suction pad on the first member, a second suction pad on the second member, a first presser on the first member, a second presser on the second member, the first and second suction pads being between the first and second pressers, and a controller to control the relative positions of the first and second members so that the first and second suction pads are positioned inside a contour of a product to be picked up and the first and second pressers are positioned above a workpiece outside the product.

Abstract: A storage rack includes a base frame and a shelf movable upward with respect to the base frame. A hoist is attachable to and detachable from the base frame and placeable on the base frame. The shelf includes an engaged portion engageable with a hook of the hoist.

Abstract: A motor driver supplies electric power to a plurality of motors. A switcher selectively switches a target motor to which the electric power output from the motor driver is supplied among the plurality of motors. An output controller includes a plurality of motor controllers, each of which performs control on any one of the plurality of motor, and controls the motor driver so that the motor driver outputs the electric power based on an output from each of the plurality of motor controllers. A switching controller controls the switcher so that the target motor is cyclically switched among an equal or fewer number of motors out of the plurality of motors compared to a number of the plurality of motor controllers.

Abstract: A rail-guided vehicle system connecting between vertically-spaced floors includes a descending rail to enable a travel vehicle to move downward. The descending rail has a helical structure and includes a rail in a first section where energy is generated when a brake included in the travel vehicle works and a rail in a second section where energy that has been generated when a travel vehicle traveled in the first section is consumed.

Abstract: A controller monitors the number of traveling vehicles scheduled to enter a sectioned area in addition to the number of existing vehicles, determines whether the traveling vehicles, scheduled to enter the sectioned area when the total of the number of existing vehicles and the number of vehicles scheduled to enter the sectioned area is acquired, can enter the sectioned area based on the total number of vehicles, determines whether a route including the sectioned area in a traveling route can be newly set, and controls the traveling of the traveling vehicle based on the determination on the entry and the determination on the setting.

Abstract: A supporter includes an upper portion including a load receiver on which a projection projecting downward from a supported body is to be mounted and which receives a load of the supported body. The supporter includes a lower portion to be provided on a floor surface and on which the upper portion is to be mounted. The upper portion includes, in a center portion thereof in a plan view, a first flexure that bends downward under the load of the supported body received by the load receiver. The lower portion includes a second flexure that bends downward when pressed by the first flexure bending downward. In the supporter, a sliding region in which the first flexure being bent downward and the second flexure being bent downward as pressed by the first flexure can slide on each other is defined by the load receiver having received the load of the supported body.

Abstract: An overhead transport vehicle includes: a traveling part configured to travel along a traveling rail; a lifting part provided in the traveling part; a gripper unit configured to be raised and lowered by the lifting part and grip an article; an accelerometer mounted on the gripper unit; and a control device configured to recognize a lifting operation state of the gripper unit and determine presence or absence of an abnormality in the gripper unit based on the lifting operation state and a detection result of the accelerometer.

Abstract: A communication method of a transport system including of transport carriages each transporting a transported object, and communication devices connected one-to-one with loading ports onto which the transported objects are loaded. The communication devices are communicably connected to each other in advance. The communication method includes transmitting, from a specific transport carriage to the communication devices, a first signal having a specific communication as a final transmission destination, and receiving, in the specific communication device, the first signal from the specific transport carriage through a communication channel that passes through another communication device. The first signal is a signal communicated for the specific transport carriage to transfer the transported object to and from a specific loading port connected one-to-one with the specific communication device.

Abstract: An autonomously traveling vehicle includes a main body, a storage, an autonomous travel plan generator and a traveling controller. The main body includes a traveling carriage. The storage stores partial traveling route data generated for subareas including an individual coordinate system, and route connection data connecting the partial traveling routes. The autonomous travel plan generator generates an autonomous traveling schedule for autonomous travel by associating the selected partial traveling route data and the selected route connection data that connects the partial traveling routes. The traveling controller controls the traveling carriage in accordance with the autonomous traveling schedule to move the main body.

Abstract: The storage rack includes two base frames suspended from the ceiling, and two beam members bridged over the base frames and included in a loading portion on which a container is placed. A kinematic pin configured to position the container, a nozzle configured to supply fluid into the container, a distribution pipe configured to send the fluid to the nozzle, and a regulator provided to the distribution pipe configured to adjust the fluid are attached to one of the beam members.

Abstract: A transport system that includes more than one transport vehicle and a controlling apparatus. The transport vehicle includes a tire that is made of resin and transports an item by traveling with the tire in contact with a path. The controlling apparatus controls travel of the transport vehicle. The controlling apparatus sets a standby position for the transport vehicle whose continuous stoppage time exceeds a threshold, blocks at least the standby position to prevent another transport vehicle from being located at the standby position, and makes the transport vehicle travel to the standby position.

Abstract: In a transport system, a gripper includes long-side grippers aligned in a long-side direction of a workpiece which is cut, by machining/cutting, into a product and a skeleton including an outer frame with an overall rectangular shape and a crossbar inside the outer frame, so that both ends thereof are connected to two shorter sides facing each other, and extending in the long-side direction, the long-side grippers gripping longer sides of the outer frame of the skeleton, and short-side grippers aligned in a short-side direction with respect to the workpiece and that grip shorter sides of the outer frame. At least one of the short-side grippers moves in the short-side direction and grips the shorter sides of the outer frame. A lifter lifts or lowers the gripper gripping the outer frame and the product to separate the outer frame and the crossbar from the product.

Abstract: A traveling vehicle system in which a traveling vehicle travels along a traveling track including a rail body to accommodate a traveling unit of the traveling vehicle and extending along a traveling path of the traveling vehicle and a power feeder positioned along an extending direction of the rail body to supply electricity to the traveling unit, includes a working track that is continuous with the traveling track and includes an opening exposing at least a portion of the traveling unit and does not have the power feeder, and a mover to move the traveling vehicle along the working track.