Dynamic routing of autonomous vehicles
Disclosed are systems and methods for dynamically routing pickers and autonomous vehicles to avoid areas closed to travel by the autonomous vehicles within a warehouse. A processor in communication with an autonomous vehicle and an electronic device operated by a user (e.g., handheld device) may, in response to detecting that the electronic device diverges from a path of the autonomous vehicle, provide, for display on the electronic device, information about the product. The processor may then determine a rendezvous location for the autonomous vehicle based on a location of the product. The processor may then instruct the autonomous vehicle to navigate to the rendezvous location and transmit the rendezvous location to the electronic device.
1. A method comprising:
determining, by a processor, that a location of at least one product to be collected is in an area closed to travel by an autonomous vehicle;
determining the location of the at least one product to be collected within the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle;
providing, by the processor, for display on an electronic device, information about the at least one product to be collected within the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle;
in response to detecting that the electronic device diverges from a path of the autonomous vehicle, determining, by the processor, a rendezvous location for the autonomous vehicle to meet the electronic device based on a current location of the electronic device relative to the location of the at least one product to be collected;
instructing, by the processor, the autonomous vehicle to navigate to the rendezvous location; and
transmitting, by the processor, the rendezvous location to the electronic device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the location of the at least one product to be collected is in an area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle comprises identifying, by the processor, the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle in response to obtaining a previous product.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the rendezvous location comprises selecting, by the processor, an access point from amongst a plurality of access points to the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle based on proximity to the location of the at least one product to be collected.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the rendezvous location further comprises selecting, by the processor, an access point from amongst a plurality of access points to the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle based on proximity to a subsequent product to be obtained by the autonomous vehicle.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle and wherein the area closed to travel by the first autonomous vehicle due to a presence of a second autonomous vehicle in the area closed to travel.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein detecting that the electronic device diverges from the path of the autonomous vehicle comprises determining, by the processor, that the electronic device is located at a distance away from the autonomous vehicle that satisfies a distance threshold.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the processor, that the electronic device is detached from the autonomous vehicle.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, by the processor, for display on the electronic device, instructions for obtaining the at least one product to be collected on a second path diverging from the path.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, by the processor to the electronic device, walking directions to the rendezvous location.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the autonomous vehicle is a first autonomous vehicle, the method further comprising:
in response to receiving a notification from the electronic device that the at least one product to be collected was not obtained at the location of the at least one product to be collected, instructing, by the processor, a second autonomous vehicle to navigate proximate to the location of the at least one product to be collected.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information about the at least one product to be collected comprises at least one of the location of the at least one product to be collected, an identifier of the at least one product to be collected, an image of the at least one product to be collected, or a size reference of the at least one product to be collected.
12. A system comprising:
an electronic device in communication with the autonomous vehicle,
a server in communication with the autonomous vehicle and the electronic device, the server configured to:
determine that a location of at least one product to be collected is in an area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle;
determine the location of the at least one product to be collected within the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle;
provide, for display on an electronic device, information about the at least one product to be collected within the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle;
in response to detecting that the electronic device diverges from a path of the autonomous vehicle,
determine a rendezvous location for the autonomous vehicle to meet the electronic device based on a current location of the electronic device relative to the location of the at least one product to be collected; and
instruct the autonomous vehicle to navigate to the rendezvous location;
and transmit the rendezvous location to the electronic device.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the server is further configured to identify that the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle in response to obtaining a previous product.
14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the server is further configured to select an access point from amongst a plurality of access points to the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle based on proximity to the location of the at least one product to be collected.
15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the server is further configured to select an access point from amongst a plurality of access points to the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle based on proximity to a subsequent product to be obtained by the autonomous vehicle.
16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the server is further configured to:
provide, for display on the electronic device, instructions for obtaining the at least one product to be collected on a second path diverging from the path.
17. A method comprising:
transmitting, by a processor of an autonomous vehicle to a server, a location of the autonomous vehicle on a path of the autonomous vehicle directed to a product location for obtaining a product;
determining that the product location is in an area closed to travel by an autonomous vehicle;
providing, by the processor, for display on an electronic device attached to the autonomous vehicle, an instruction for obtaining the product at the product location on a path diverging from the path of the autonomous vehicle;
determining the product location of the product within the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle;
providing, by the processor, for display on an electronic device, information about the product within the area closed to travel by the autonomous vehicle;
determining a rendezvous location for the autonomous vehicle to meet the electronic device based on a current location of the electronic device relative to the location of the product;
navigating, by the processor, the autonomous vehicle to the rendezvous location to meet the electronic device; and
identifying, by the processor, that the electronic device has re-attached to the autonomous vehicle.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the processor navigates the autonomous vehicle to the rendezvous location in response to the electronic device being detached from the autonomous vehicle.