Item storage array for mobile base in robot assisted order-fulfillment operations
A method for executing orders by at least one robot on a plurality of items stored at locations throughout a warehouse including reading a bar code affixed to an item storage array disposed on said at least one robot. The item storage array includes a plurality of interconnected containers each for storing items associated with an order. The method also includes using the read bar code to retrieve information about at least one characteristic of the item storage array and assigning an order associated to each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array. The orders are based in part on the at least one characteristic of the item storage array. The method further includes navigating the at least one robot to locations throughout the warehouse to execute the orders associated with each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array.
1. A method for executing orders by at least one robot on a plurality of items stored at locations throughout a warehouse, the method comprising:
receiving, at an order server, information corresponding to a barcode affixed to an item storage array disposed on said at least one robot; the item storage array including a plurality of interconnected containers each for storing items associated with an order;
retrieving, by the order server in response to receiving the barcode information, data describing at least one characteristic of the item storage array;
transmitting, from the order server to the at least one robot, an order assignment for association with each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array, the order assignments being selected based in part on the at least one characteristic of the item storage array; and
navigating the at least one robot, by a processor of the at least one robot, in response to receipt of one or more of the order assignments at the at least one robot, to locations throughout the warehouse to execute the order assignments associated with each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the barcode of the item storage array is associated with the item storage array per se rather than the individual containers and wherein the item storage array further includes a barcode associated with each of the individual containers in the item storage array.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the item storage array is disposed on a surface of the at least one robot.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein the item storage array is attached to an armature affixed to the at least one robot and the item storage array is located above a surface of the at least one robot.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of retrieving the data describing the at least one characteristic of the item storage array includes correlating the barcode information to an item storage array identification stored in a table of the order server and obtaining data describing a plurality of characteristics of the identified item storage array.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the plurality of characteristics of the item storage array includes one or more of a number of containers, container identification numbers, colors of the containers, and dimensions of the containers.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of navigating includes displaying, by the at least one robot, at least one of the container identification number and the container color to inform an operator which container in the item storage array is associated with the execution of each order assignment.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising selecting, from an order queue in communication with the order server, a number of orders corresponding to the number of containers in the item storage array and assigning each of the containers of the item storage array an order assignment from the number of orders.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of assigning each of the obtained orders to a container further includes selecting the container to be associated with each order assignment at least partially based on an additional characteristic of the item storage array.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein the additional characteristic includes a dimension of each of the containers.
11. A robot for executing orders on a plurality of items stored at locations throughout a warehouse, the robot comprising:
a mobile base;
an item storage array disposed on the mobile base and including a plurality of interconnected containers each for storing items associated with an order, the item storage array including a barcode which is correlated to data stored in an order server the data describing at least one characteristic of the item storage array;
a transceiver for receiving, at the robot, an order assignment from the order server associated with each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array, the order assignments being based in part on the at least one characteristic of the item storage array; and
a processor configured to, in response to receipt of the order assignments by the transceiver, navigate the robot to locations throughout the warehouse to execute the order assignments associated with each of the plurality of containers of the item storage array.
12. The robot of claim 11 wherein the barcode of the item storage array is associated with the item storage array per se rather than the individual containers and wherein the item storage array further includes a barcode associated with each of the individual containers in the item storage array.
13. The robot of claim 11 wherein the item storage array is disposed on a surface of the at least one robot.
14. The robot of claim 11 wherein the item storage array is attached to an armature affixed to the at least one robot and the item storage array is located above a surface of the at least one robot.
15. The robot of claim 11 wherein the barcode is correlated to an item storage array identification stored in a table in the order server, the order server configured to obtain data describing a plurality of characteristics of the identified item storage array.
16. The robot of claim 15 wherein the plurality of characteristics of the item storage array includes one or more of a number of containers, container identification numbers, colors of the containers, and dimensions of the containers.
17. The robot of claim 16 wherein the robot further includes a display and the processor is further configured to provide an image on the display indicating at least one of the container identification number and the container color to inform an operator which container in the item storage array is associated with the execution of each order assignment.
18. The robot of claim 16 wherein the number of containers in the item storage array is used to select, from an order queue in communication with the order server, a number of orders corresponding to the number of containers in the item storage array for assigning an order to each of the containers of the item storage array from the number of orders.
19. The robot of claim 18 wherein assigning each of the obtained orders to a container further includes selecting the container to be associated with each order assignment at least partially based on an additional characteristic of the item storage array.
20. The robot of claim 19 wherein the additional characteristic includes a dimension of each of the containers.