Abstract: An automated storage and retrieval facility includes an automated decant system for decanting cases of eaches received from manufacturers or others. The automated decant system includes a decant workstation which receives the cases of eaches, cuts and removes the packaging of the cases. Once case packaging has been removed, the decant workstation separates and organizes the eaches, and drops them into totes waiting beneath the workstation.

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: An order fulfillment system is disclosed including a multi-level tote storage structure, one or more autonomous mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote; one or more workstations configured to accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a “put” location, wherein the autonomous mobile robots are configured to move from level to level in the order fulfillment apparatus.

Abstract: Systems and methods for transporting bags at a product storage facility include carts. The cart may include one or more levels of shelves/trays that can support one or more bags thereon. The trays/shelves may be folded up to facilitate bag placement/removal from the cart, and to facilitate storage of multiple carts in a nested configuration that saves storage space at the product storage facility. The cart may also include one or more levels of hooks for hanging the handles of the bags thereon, thereby providing a more secure storage of the bags on the cart. The cart may be transported using a robotic transport unit.

Abstract: An automated supply chain for end to end tracking of eaches, comprising: one or more distribution centers for receiving eaches and delivering the eaches to a market; one or more of pallets, cases and totes for transporting the eaches, the one or more of pallets, cases and totes comprising tracking systems; a plurality of robots at the one or more distribution centers for sorting the eaches for shipment between the one or more distribution centers and the market; a unified commerce engine (UCE) comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the UCE configured to receive and store identification information from the tracking systems, the UCE tracking locations of the eaches within the pallets, cases and totes in each of the one or more distribution centers from receipt from the manufacturer to delivery to the market using the identification information.

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: An order fulfillment system is disclosed including a multi-level tote storage structure, one or more autonomous mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote; one or more workstations configured to accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a “put” location, wherein the autonomous mobile robots are configured to move from level to level in the order fulfillment apparatus.

Abstract: A system comprising a fully automated supply chain, in combination with tracking technology and the unified commerce engine (UCE). Such a system enables the exact location of every item (or each) to be tracked from the manufacturer's facility to a customer's bag.

Abstract: A ball spline with detour tracks includes spline shaft, nut part movable along a longitudinal direction of the spline shaft, and balls between the nut part and the spline shaft, wherein the nut part includes nut adapted to insert the spline shaft thereinto and retainers on longitudinal sides of the nut, the spline shaft includes tracks extended along the longitudinal direction, the nut includes load track grooves formed in longitudinal direction on inner peripheral surface into which the spline shaft is inserted and non-load circulating portions formed in the longitudinal direction, each retainer includes circulating grooves on the inner peripheral surface to face the load track groove and non-load circulating portion, the balls run between the tracks and the load track grooves, and each track includes track groove formed in longitudinal direction of the spline shaft and detour tracks whose longitudinal sides are connected to the track groove.

Abstract: A workstation receives bots carrying order totes and bots carrying product totes for transfer of goods from the product totes to the order totes. The workstation comprises a robot for automated transfer of goods between the product and order totes, but may also have a station for an operator to perform manual transfer. Cameras may be provided to capture images of the product and/or order totes to identify contents of totes and to identify positions where goods are to be picked from the product totes and placed into the order totes.

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: An order fulfillment system is disclosed including a multi-level tote storage structure, one or more autonomous mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote; one or more workstations configured to accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a “put” location, wherein the autonomous mobile robots are configured to move from level to level in the order fulfillment apparatus.

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.

Abstract: A rack or racking system is disclosed for use in inventory management, order fulfillment and automation-based capacity planning. The racking system includes expandable and collapsible racks used to transport containers, for example, totes, which in the expanded configuration can attach to a load/unload fixture that enables bots to load totes onto the racks and/or unload totes from the racks, and in the collapsed configuration can be loaded onto a truck that transports the totes between facilities.

Abstract: A ball spline with detour tracks includes spline shaft, nut part movable along a longitudinal direction of the spline shaft, and balls between the nut part and the spline shaft, wherein the nut part includes nut adapted to insert the spline shaft thereinto and retainers on longitudinal sides of the nut, the spline shaft includes tracks extended along the longitudinal direction, the nut includes load track grooves formed in longitudinal direction on inner peripheral surface into which the spline shaft is inserted and non-load circulating portions formed in the longitudinal direction, each retainer includes circulating grooves on the inner peripheral surface to face the load track groove and non-load circulating portion, the balls run between the tracks and the load track grooves, and each track includes track groove formed in longitudinal direction of the spline shaft and detour tracks whose longitudinal sides are connected to the track groove.

Abstract: A workstation receives bots carrying order totes and bots carrying product totes for transfer of goods from the product totes to the order totes. The workstation comprises a robot for automated transfer of goods between the product and order totes, but may also have a station for an operator to perform manual transfer. Cameras may be provided to capture images of the product and/or order totes to identify contents of totes and to identify positions where goods are to be picked from the product totes and placed into the order totes.

Abstract: A system and method for storage and retrieval are provided. The system includes a multi-level storage structure, and mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote, container, or object. This system and method can be used in order-fulfillment applications in which one or more workstations accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a put location, and an input/output interface induct material into the system and discharge fulfilled orders from the system. The mobile robots are further configured to move from level to level in the multi-level storage structure via inclined or vertical tracks without requiring a vertical lift or vertical conveyor.

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: An opportunistic rail charging system is disclosed for recharging power supplies on mobile robots transporting goods within an automated order fulfillment system. Individual chargers may be incorporated into each mobile robot for converting a facility line voltage from the charge rail to a voltage for which the rechargeable power supplies on each mobile robot are rated.