Dynamic allocation of robotic sortation resources

1 . A method comprising:

determining a first item associated with a first target;

determining a first item count associated with a first buffer, wherein the first buffer stores items prior to loading the items onto robotic drives;

determining a second item count associated with items loaded onto robotic drives;

determining a first number of robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target;

allocating an additional robotic sortation device to the first target based on the first item count, the second item count, and the first number of robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target;

loading the first item onto a first robotic drive;

sending first control instructions to the first robotic drive effective to cause the first robotic drive to take the first item to the additional robotic sortation device;

receiving, by the additional robotic sortation device, the first item;

determining, by the additional robotic sortation device using computer vision, that the first item is associated with the first target; and

controlling the additional robotic sortation device to place the first item in a first container associated with the first target based at least in part on the allocation of the additional robotic sortation device to the first target and based on the first item being associated with the first target.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a set of robotic sortation devices that are unallocated to a target;

determining, for a first robotic sortation device of the set of robotic sortation devices, a first distance between the first robotic sortation device and a second robotic sortation device allocated to the first target, wherein the second robotic sortation device is a closest robotic sortation device to the first robotic sortation device among robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target;

determining, for a third robotic sortation device of the set of robotic sortation devices, a second distance between the third robotic sortation device and a fourth robotic sortation device allocated to the first target, wherein the fourth robotic sortation device is the closest robotic sortation device to the third robotic sortation device among robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target; and

selecting the first robotic sortation device as the additional robotic sortation device to allocate to the first target based on the first distance being greater than the second distance.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining that the first container has been removed from a station associated with the additional robotic sortation device; and

deallocating the additional robotic sortation device from the first target.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

determining a first percentage utilization of the first container based at least in part on a number of items in the first container; and

determining that the first percentage utilization is greater than or equal to a threshold percentage utilization, wherein the deallocating the additional robotic sortation device from the first target is based at least in part on the first percentage utilization being greater than or equal to the threshold percentage utilization.

5 . A method of controlling robotic sortation devices, comprising:

determining a first item associated with a first target;

determining a first item count associated with a first buffer;

allocating a first robotic sortation device to the first target based at least in part on the first item count;

receiving, by the first robotic sortation device, the first item; and

controlling the first robotic sortation device to place the first item in a first container associated with the first target.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining a second item count associated with items loaded onto a plurality of robotic drives, wherein the first robotic sortation device is allocated to the first target further based at least in part on the second item count.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

loading the first item onto a first robotic drive of the plurality of robotic drives; and

sending control instructions to the first robotic drive effective to cause the first robotic drive to navigate to the first robotic sortation device based at least in part on the allocating the first robotic sortation device to the first target.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the first buffer comprises a recirculating buffer that stores overflow items that are currently unable to be processed by robotic sortation devices due to current processing load, the method further comprising:

comparing the first item count to a threshold item count associated with the first buffer; and

allocating the first robotic sortation device to the first target based at least in part on the first item count exceeding the threshold item count.

9 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining a set of robotic sortation devices that are unallocated to a target;

determining, for the first robotic sortation device of the set of robotic sortation devices, a first distance between the first robotic sortation device and a second robotic sortation device allocated to the first target, wherein the second robotic sortation device is a closest robotic sortation device to the first robotic sortation device among robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target;

determining, for a third robotic sortation device of the set of robotic sortation devices, a second distance between the third robotic sortation device and a fourth robotic sortation device allocated to the first target, wherein the fourth robotic sortation device is the closest robotic sortation device to the third robotic sortation device among robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target; and

selecting the first robotic sortation device to allocate to the first target based on the first distance being greater than the second distance.

10 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining that the first container has been removed from a station associated with the first robotic sortation device; and

deallocating the first robotic sortation device from the first target.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

determining a first percentage utilization of the first container based at least in part on a number of items in the first container; and

determining that the first percentage utilization is greater than or equal to a threshold percentage utilization, wherein the deallocating the first robotic sortation device from the first target is based at least in part on the first percentage utilization being greater than or equal to the threshold percentage utilization.

12 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

determining a first number of items associated with the first target in the first buffer;

determining a second number of items associated with the first target in a laden drive buffer; and

allocating, based on the first number and the second number, the first robotic sortation device to the first target.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

inputting first data into a first machine learning model, wherein the first data comprises a representation of at least the first number and the second number;

generating, by the first machine learning model, output data indicating that an additional robotic sortation device is allocated to the first target; and

sending control instructions to the first robotic sortation device, the control instructions designating the first container as associated with the first target.

14 . A system comprising:

at least one processor; and

non-transitory computer-readable memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor is effective to;

determine a first item associated with a first target;

determine a first item count associated with a first buffer;

allocate a first robotic sortation device to the first target based at least in part on the first item count;

receive, by the first robotic sortation device, the first item; and

control the first robotic sortation device to place the first item in a first container associated with the first target.

15 . The system of claim 14 , the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, are further effective to:

determine a second item count associated with items loaded onto a plurality of robotic drives, wherein the first robotic sortation device is allocated to the first target further based at least in part on the second item count.

16 . The system of claim 14 , the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, are further effective to:

load the first item onto a first robotic drive of a plurality of robotic drives; and

send control instructions to the first robotic drive effective to cause the first robotic drive to navigate to the first robotic sortation device based at least in part on the allocating the first robotic sortation device to the first target.

17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the first buffer comprises a recirculating buffer that stores overflow items that are currently unable to be processed by robotic sortation devices due to current processing load, the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, are further effective to:

compare the first item count to a threshold item count associated with the first buffer; and

allocate the first robotic sortation device to the first target based at least in part on the first item count exceeding the threshold item count.

18 . The system of claim 14 , the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, are further effective to:

determine a set of robotic sortation devices that are unallocated to a target;

determine, for the first robotic sortation device of the set of robotic sortation devices, a first distance between the first robotic sortation device and a second robotic sortation device allocated to the first target, wherein the second robotic sortation device is a closest robotic sortation device to the first robotic sortation device among robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target;

determine, for a third robotic sortation device of the set of robotic sortation devices, a second distance between the third robotic sortation device and a fourth robotic sortation device allocated to the first target, wherein the fourth robotic sortation device is the closest robotic sortation device to the third robotic sortation device among robotic sortation devices allocated to the first target; and

selecting the first robotic sortation device to allocate to the first target based on the first distance being greater than the second distance.

19 . The system of claim 14 , the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, are further effective to:

determine that the first container has been removed from a station associated with the first robotic sortation device; and

deallocate the first robotic sortation device from the first target.

20 . The system of claim 19 , the non-transitory computer-readable memory storing further instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, are further effective to:

determine a first percentage utilization of the first container based at least in part on a number of items in the first container; and

determine that the first percentage utilization is greater than or equal to a threshold percentage utilization, wherein the deallocating the first robotic sortation device from the first target is based at least in part on the first percentage utilization being greater than or equal to the threshold percentage utilization.