Abstract: An automated sortation system includes infeed and outfeed conveyors, a singulator including an array of a plurality of independently-addressable rollers, a monitor system, and a control system. Based on input from one or more sensors of the monitor system and/or status information of one or more of the conveyors and rollers, real-time parcel status data is generated of parcels conveyed within the system; the plurality of parcels are prioritized within a priority queue based on the real-time parcel status data; trajectories are generated for the parcels; and the rollers are dynamically controlled to form dynamically changing conveyance vector fields. A cycle including real-time sensing and tracking, generating and updating parcel status data, generating and updating the priority queue, determining and updating the parcel trajectories, and dynamically controlling the singulator is repeated with data from various operations being fed back to inform and update other operations.

Abstract: Described herein are an automated roller module, a sortation system including the module, and methods of controlling the module and system. The module includes multiple pucks each including a roller whose rotation about a driving axis within an upper plane and rotation about a swivel axis normal to the upper plane are each independently and dynamically controllable. The module is thereby configured to dynamically create and control various conveyance vector fields formed by the plurality of rollers. The system is thereby configured to dynamically control items in a conveyance flow; and the method may include, but is not limited to: shifting bulk flow items into a single flow, diverting item(s) in a new direction, directing item(s) into and/or out of a flow, changing the position, orientation, and/or spacing of item(s), separating one flow of items into multiple flows, and merging items from multiple flows into a single flow.