Abstract: An automatic truck unloader for unloading/unpacking product, such as boxes or cases, from trailers and containers is disclosed. In one embodiment, a mobile base structure provides a support framework for a drive subassembly, conveyance subassembly, an industrial robot, a distance measurement subassembly, and a control subassembly. Under the operation of the control subassembly, an industrial robot having a suction cup-based gripper arm selectively removes boxes from the trailer and places the boxes on a powered transportation path. The control subassembly coordinates the selective articulated movement of the industrial robot and the activation of the drive subassembly based upon the distance measurement subassembly detecting objects, including boxes, within a detection space, and dimensions of the trailer provided to the control subassembly.

Abstract: Various methods for threading a tape on the one or more reels onto the tape drive. A method according to one embodiment uses a mobile robot to thread a tape on the one or more reels onto the tape drive. A method according to another embodiment includes threading a tape across a tape drive by moving at least one of a tape reel and a take up reel coupled to the tape. A method according to yet another embodiment includes threading the tape across a tape drive using at least one of rollers and cylinders.

Abstract: In a system for compensating dynamic and thermal deformity errors of a linear motion single-plane gantry stage in real time, a stage apparatus using the system, and manufacturing, measuring, and inspecting apparatuses using the system, the system includes: a first two-dimensional position measuring unit arranged in each of two linear edge beams respectively positioned in both sides of the linear motion single-plane gantry stage for measuring the position of an X-axially movable gantry beam to provide a feedback of an X-axial motion thereof; a second two-dimensional position measuring unit for measuring the position of a Y-axially movable slider movable on the X-axially movable gantry beam to provide a feedback of a Y-axial motion thereof; a thermal fixing point provided as a thermal reference for measuring a thermal expansion of the X-axially movable gantry beam; and a compensation control unit for controlling an error motion of the linear motion single-plane gantry stage in real time by measuring dynamic and

Abstract: A device and method are provided, the method including providing a device capable of at least semi-autonomous operation and enabling the device to autonomously gather at least one item and secure that item against unauthorized access while providing selective authorized access to the item while the item is in possession of the device.

Abstract: A transporting device for transporting substrate of liquid crystal display and using method thereof are provided. The transporting device comprises a fixing arm, at least two forks mounted on the fixing arm, laser emitting devices respectively mounted on the forks that are used to carry two ends of the substrate, laser sensors mounted on the fixing arm and corresponding to the laser emitting devices, a processor mounted on the fixing arm and connected to the laser sensors, and air damping devices mounted below the forks that are used to carry two ends of the substrate. The droop amount and the vibration of the fork can be measured when the transporting device is carrying a substrate, and it can be determined whether the droop amount and the vibration are abnormal. If they are abnormal, the laser emitting device will be started up to alleviate the vibration of the fork.

Abstract: Methods and devices for measuring attributes of objects such as containers and container content without opening the containers are disclosed. Measurements of containers are obtained during conveyance via conveyor. For example, a sensor, such as a pressure sensing system, may measure pressure or contact between the container and the conveyor conveying the container. The measurements may be analyzed to determine characteristics of the container such as the weight, weight distribution and/or dimensions of the container. The conveyor may be configured to jostle the container such that an inertial property of the container and/or container content may be measured and analyzed. The measurements obtained may be used to ascertain a problem or characteristic of the container and/or container content without opening the container, such as damage, packing condition, number of units, presence of liquids, and the like. The method and device may be used through a materials handling facility.

Abstract: Order allocation techniques pertaining to stops that a container makes in the process of fulfilling a customer order is disclosed. In one embodiment, this is accomplished by first identifying a pod that stocks the largest number of different items in a customer order. Then, a second pod is identified that stocks the largest number of remaining items in the customer order. The collection of pods defines a container path through the distribution center.

Abstract: The present invention provides loading and unloading method and device for a cooling buffer in a precise length measuring machine. The loading and unloading method contains the steps of: S1: triggering a timer after a glass substrate is loaded into an empty slot of the cooling buffer having the highest priority; and S2: after the timer reaches a first time T1, starting the loading of a glass substrate into another empty slot having the next highest priority. The loading and unloading method and device disclosed by the present invention, through the design of delayed loading and unloading glass substrates into and from the cooling buffer, enhances the intelligence of the cooling buffer, ensures the uniformity of the cooling intervals of the glass substrates, improves the measurement precision, satisfies operator's advanced operational requirement, and achieves high utilization of the precise length measuring machine.

Abstract: This disclosure describes systems and methods for automatically verifying the processing of items within a materials handling facility. In many instances one or more items are processed in a materials handling facility and an agent processing the item must place the item in a designated container so that the item can be routed to the appropriate destination. By using image capture and analysis, the placement of the item in the appropriate container can be verified without requiring the agent to scan or otherwise identify the container into which the item was placed.

Abstract: A mail processing method for franking mail items, which franking machine is connected to a first server that is itself connected to a second server in communication with a sorting machine, the franking method including scanning the destination addresses borne on the mail items as the mail items are inserted, storing the digital images of the addresses scanned in this way, in association with respective unique identification numbers, and periodically transferring the digital images as indexed in this way to a first server. The first or second server extracts determined data from the digital images, which data, associated with the unique identification numbers, is suitable for enabling the sorting machine to be controlled automatically on receiving the franked mail items.

Abstract: Described herein are a robotic distribution apparatus, system and method. The robotic distribution system may include a Package Delivery Kiosk (PDK), associated frontend and backend package delivery management systems, a package inventory management system. The PDK includes a Robotic Package Lifting Assembly which may be configured to remember the location of packages and slots and provide for automated retrieval and placement of the packages. In an embodiment, a package retrieving apparatus includes a track, a base slidably interconnected with the track, and a vertical support interconnected with the base. The apparatus includes a package picker module oriented on the vertical support to vertically move on the vertical support. The package picker module including a conveyer belt oriented in a plane parallel to the ground and first and second grippers oriented parallel to the conveyer belt to surround and grip an object beyond the surface of the conveyer belt.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments enable cartonization of products for store replenishment based on the individual store layout of each store of a group of stores to which the cartonized products are to be provided.

Abstract: A linear conveyor is provided with a linear motor stator including electromagnets and operable to individually undergo electric current supply control with respect to each zone; a conveyor carriage provided with a linear motor rotor and a unique information storing device; motor control devices configured to perform electric current supply control for the electromagnets with respect to each zone; and a reading device configured to read position correction data of the conveyor carriage stored in the unique information storing device. Each of the motor control devices is configured to correct a target stop position of the conveyor carriage, with use of the position correction data read by the reading device for performing electric current supply control based on the corrected target stop position.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to a method for fulfilling orders from an inventory comprising serialized products. For example, a computer system may receive an order and derive from the order a plurality of products, a unit quantity for each of the plurality of products, and a serial identifier referencing a first product unit of at least one of the plurality of products. At least one of the plurality of products may be a non-reserved product. Also, the computer system may determine a first bin selected from a plurality of non-reserved product bins that is associated with product units of the non-reserved product and generate a pick instruction specifying the first bin and the unit quantity of the non-reserved product specified by the order. The computer system may also instruct a robot to retrieve the first product unit from one of the plurality of robot accessible bins.

Abstract: A library device includes: a recording medium storage unit that stores at least a first recording medium, and a second recording medium that is a take-out request target; an accessor that takes out the second recording medium from the recording medium storage unit after taking out the first recording medium from the recording medium storage unit; an evacuation destination drive device that receives the first recording medium taken out by the accessor; a take-out destination drive device that draws in the second recording medium taken out by the accessor; and an operation interruption control unit that performs a control that interrupts an operation of the evacuation destination drive drawing in the second recording medium taken in the evacuation destination drive device.

Abstract: There is provided a medicinal agent filling device with reduced size, which can automatically fill a medicinal agent into containers having different sizes. A medicinal agent filling device includes: a supply device for supplying a medicinal agent of interest to a container capable of being filled with the medicinal agent; a conveyance device for conveying the container; and a detecting unit for obtaining measurement data corresponding to an outer diameter of the container in a conveyance direction of the container by the conveyance device. Based on the measurement data, the conveyance device stops the container at a supply position where the medicinal agent can be supplied from the supply device to the container.

Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments that may facilitate items being retrieved from a storage location. A robotic drive unit transports a carrier storage unit to be proximate to a target storage unit that comprises a container in which an item is located. The robotic drive unit aligns a receptacle in the carrier storage unit with the container in the target storage unit. The container is transferred from the target storage unit to the carrier storage unit. The robotic drive unit transports the carrier storage unit with the container to a destination.

Abstract: A work hanging apparatus includes a hanger line continuously conveying hangers each having a hook, a robot that has a hand with which a work having a hole is held and transfers the held work to a hanging location set in the hanger line, a controller controlling a movement of the hand to catch the hook of one of the hangers with the hole of the held work at the hanging location, a hole deviation detector that detects a positional deviation of the hole of the work, an attitude deviation detector that detects an attitudinal deviation of the hanger, and a corrector that corrects the movement of the hand according to the positional and attitudinal deviations.

Abstract: Monitoring system for a conveyor of articles (100). The conveyor of articles comprises at least one transport chain (105) adapted to be moved along a movement direction, and a guide structure (132) of the transport chain comprising a lower guide element (135) adapted to support the chain from below and a higher guide element (140) adapted to insist on the chain from above and facing toward the lower guide element. The system comprises at least one first magnetic field generator element (155) located in a first guide element, at least one magnetic field sensor (160) located in a second selected guide element for sensing the magnitude of a measure magnetic field, and processing means (165) for quantifying a reduction of the overall thickness of the chain based on a time variation of the measure magnetic field.

Abstract: Provided is a substrate conveyance method where a segment which can simultaneously hold M pieces of substrates defined by an integer M of 2 or more is provided, and a substrate conveyance part can simultaneously convey N pieces of substrates defined by an integer N of 2 or more which is not a divisor of the integer M from the segment or toward the segment. The substrate conveyance part performs a substrate conveyance cycle repeatedly where when N pieces of variables ik defined by integers k of 1 to N are arbitrary integers of 0 or more and not more than (M/N) and satisfy a relationship of M=N×i1+ . . . +1×iN, a conveyance step where a substrate conveyance step of simultaneously conveying (N?k?1) pieces of substrates from the segment or toward the segment by the substrate conveyance part is performed ik times is performed with respect to the conveyance step where the number of times of the substrate conveyance steps is defined by each variable which is a natural number out of N pieces of variables ik.