Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for supplying one or more goods to a physical store location. The goods may be received at a distribution center (DC). At the DC, the goods may be decanted from their shipping containers into one or more sub-totes, which are contained within one or more product totes. The sub-totes may be transferred from the one or more product totes to one or more order totes based on a velocity of movement of the plurality of goods at the physical store location.

Abstract: An automated order fulfillment system and mobile robot are disclosed, where the mobile robot includes a compliant drive for moving between levels of a multilevel storage structure.

Abstract: A combination automated-service and self-service store for implementation at brick-and-mortar retail locations is provided. The store and corresponding method of implementation is an automated-service model in which robots, deployed at the brick-and-mortar location, fill orders for fungible goods placed by customers either online or in-store. The store also includes a shopping section where customers can select/order items and/or personally select non-fungible goods. The store includes a shopping section for non-fungible goods that customers prefer to pick out by hand and a back end automated order fulfillment section for other goods (e.g., fungible goods, dry goods, etc.). The two sets of goods are merged to a delivery bundle and delivered together for pickup by the customer.

Abstract: An automated order fulfillment system and mobile robot are disclosed, where the mobile robot includes a compliant drive for moving between levels of a multilevel storage structure. In one example, the compliant drive comprises a drive shaft having splines configured to provide rotational play that prevents jamming of a vertical drive gear on the end of the shaft with a rack in a vertical track.

Abstract: An automated decant system is disclosed for processing pallets of cased goods received at a facility, extracting packaging for the cases and transferring eaches within the cases to totes, possibly organized by SKU in sub-totes within the tote.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for supplying one or more goods to a physical store location. The goods may be received at a distribution center (DC). At the DC, the goods may be decanted from their shipping containers into one or more sub-totes, which are contained within one or more product totes. The sub-totes may be transferred from the one or more product totes to one or more order totes based on a velocity of movement of the plurality of goods at the physical store location.

Abstract: A store includes a self-service area where shoppers select goods from shelves, and an automated goods-to-person (G2P) area where stored goods are transported by mobile robots to a picking workstation or automated fulfillment of online orders. In one example, fresh order-line goods may be batch picked from the self-service area and transferred to the G2P area for automated fulfillment of orders for the fresh order-line goods. Fresh order-line goods may for example include meats, produce and other fresh foods packaged in the store deli or butcher which require some secondary operation before they can picked into a finished order.

Abstract: Some embodiments provide order fulfillment systems utilized in fulfilling orders for goods. The workstation can comprise: a storage structure configured to store totes; mobile robots configured to transport the totes; a buffering station configured to receive totes from the storage structure via the mobile robots and configured to load totes into a rack; and a dispense portal appurtenant to a parking area, the dispense portal configured to receive the rack from the buffering station and configured to present totes from the rack to the parking area.

Abstract: An automated self-service store is disclosed including a shopper accessible level having inventory for selection by a shopper, and an item storage and replenishment area for storing inventory. The self-service store further includes mobile robots for replenishing inventory at the shopper accessible level from the item storage and replenishment area.

Abstract: An automated order fulfillment system and mobile robot are disclosed, where the mobile robot includes a compliant drive for moving between levels of a multilevel storage structure.

Abstract: A system and method for providing proxy picking of non-fungible goods within an automated storage and retrieval system is provided, which repurposes one or more automated mobile robots operating within the automated inventory management system to perform a plurality of tasks across multiple different areas of an automated store. The proxy picking system and method are configured to pick individually identified non-fungible goods according to a customer selection on an ordering screen based on measured attributes and images of the goods, the attributes selected by the customer.

Abstract: An automated decant system is disclosed for processing pallets of cased goods received at a facility, extracting packaging for the cases and transferring eaches within the cases to totes, possibly organized by SKU in sub-totes within the tote.

Abstract: A fully automated supply chain, in combination with tracking technology and the unified commerce engine (UCE) enables the exact location of every item (or each) to be tracked from the manufacturer's facility to a customer's bag. Eaches are tracked using the UCE as they move within and between one or more regional distribution centers and a market distribution center.

Abstract: A workstation is disclosed for transferring objects between containers such as product and order totes in an order fulfillment system. The workstation may include an object pick system, for example including a measuring array or a machine vision system, which directs and monitors the transfer of objects between the containers.

Abstract: A vertical farming system includes a storage structure having racks of storage shelves for housing plant-carrying containers. Mobile robots travel around the racks to transfer containers of plants to and from the storage shelves. Under direction of a central control system, one or more mobile robots may transport a container from a storage location to a workstation. Once there, care may be provided for the plant, including water and/or other nutrients, and data may be gathered on the plant. This may be done by an owner of the plant, or by an automated service robot positioned at the workstation. Data gathered on the plant, including for example photographs, may be sent by email or other communications schemes to an owner of the plant.

Abstract: A universal gripper is disclosed for transferring totes and sub-totes, for example in an order fulfillment center. The universal gripper includes adjustable tines and pins capable of being positioned to engage within slots in the different configurations of totes and sub-totes.

Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed including a robotic system having a robotic picking workstation, tote storage and retrieval and transit decks. The system has bots that autonomously transport totes from the storage and retrieval system to the robotic picking workstation via the transit decks. The robotic picking workstation may have a picking lane where a robotic handler transports eaches from totes on the bots to order totes in the workstation. The robotic picking workstation further has a queuing buffer where bots are cued for the picking lane.

Abstract: A micro-fulfillment center fulfills orders for goods including both in-store picking of goods and online ordering of goods. Orders are fulfilled using both a picker to goods (P2G) model and an automated goods to picker (G2P) model. In examples, goods are replenished to the automated G2P system from store shelves which also serve the P2G model.

Abstract: A system and method for providing proxy picking of non-fungible goods within an automated storage and retrieval system is provided, which repurposes one or more automated mobile robots operating within the automated inventory management system to perform a plurality of tasks across multiple different areas of an automated store. The proxy picking system and method are configured to pick individually identified non-fungible goods according to a customer selection on an ordering screen based on measured attributes and images of the goods, the attributes selected by the customer.

Abstract: An automated order fulfillment system is disclosed having different temperature zones and robots and containers capable of and/or configured to work in these different temperature zones. Containers include insulated wall panels and a thermal insert which may be chilled to maintain a temperature within the container below ambient temperature. Structure within a storage location for the containers may be used to open and close the containers to facilitate cooling of the thermal insert.