Loading articles on one or more support surfaces with one or more mobile devices

1. A method for loading a plurality of articles on one or more support surfaces using a controller and a manipulator, the method comprising:

autonomously modeling at least some of the articles in a stable article arrangement on a first of the support surfaces using the controller;

autonomously gathering the articles in the modeled article arrangement using the manipulator; and

autonomously arranging the gathered articles on the first of the support surfaces according to the modeled article arrangement using the manipulator

wherein the modeling comprises modeling at least some of the articles in a plurality of different article arrangements on the first of the support surfaces, wherein each of the article arrangements has an arrangement density that is equal to a collective volume of the articles in the respective article arrangement to a volume of the respective article arrangement; and

wherein the arranging comprises arranging the gathered articles on the first of the support surfaces according to the modeled article arrangement having the greatest arrangement density.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the articles in the modeled article arrangement comprise a stacked article and one or more base articles; and

the stacked article is stacked on the one or more base articles, and each bottom corner of the stacked article is respectively supported by the one or more base articles.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the articles in the modeled article arrangement comprise a stacked article and one or more base articles; and

the stacked article is stacked on the one or more base articles, and a bottom surface of the stacked article is substantially parallel to the support surface.

4. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the articles in the modeled article arrangement comprise a stacked article and one or more base articles; and

the stacked article is stacked on the one or more base articles, and has a smaller horizontal cross sectional area than each of the one or more base articles.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the articles in the modeled article arrangement comprise a stacked article and one or more base articles; and

the stacked article is stacked on the one or more base articles, and weighs less than each of the one or more base articles.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein

the modeling comprises modeling a first group of the articles in the stable article arrangement on the first of the support surfaces, and modeling a second group of the articles in a stable second article arrangement on a second of the support surfaces;

the gathering comprises gathering the first group of the articles and the second group of the articles; and

the arranging comprises arranging the first group of the articles on the first of the support surfaces, and arranging the second group of the articles on the second of the support surfaces.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein a mobile device comprises the controller and the manipulator.

8. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein

the mobile device further comprises a second manipulator; and

the gathering and the arranging of the articles are performed with at least one of the manipulator and the second manipulator.

9. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein

the mobile device further comprises a pallet jack;

the gathering comprises picking up a first of the articles from an article pickup location; and

the arranging comprises placing the first of the articles onto a pallet that is engaged with the pallet jack, wherein the pallet comprises the first of the support surfaces.

10. The method as defined in claim 7 , wherein

the mobile device further comprises a pallet jack;

the gathering comprises moving a first of the articles from an article pickup location onto a pallet that is engaged with the pallet jack; and

the arranging comprises moving the first of the articles from the pallet onto the first of the support surfaces.

11. The method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the gathering comprises gathering a first of the articles at a first article pickup location, and gathering a second of the articles at a second article pickup location that is different from the first article pickup location.

12. A method for loading a plurality of articles on one or more support surfaces using a controller and a manipulator, the method comprising:

autonomously modeling at least some of the articles in a stable article arrangement on a first of the support surfaces using the controller;

autonomously gathering the articles in the modeled article arrangement using the manipulator; and

autonomously arranging the gathered articles on the first of the support surfaces according to the modeled article arrangement using the manipulator;

wherein the modeling comprises modeling at least some of the articles in a plurality of different article arrangements that each fit within a control volume on the first of the support surfaces, wherein each of the article arrangements has an arrangement density that is equal to a collective volume of the articles in the respective article arrangement to the control volume; and

wherein the arranging comprises arranging the gathered articles on the first of the support surfaces according to the modeled article arrangement having the greatest arrangement density.

13. A mobile device for loading a plurality of articles on one or more support surfaces, the device comprising:

a mobile platform;

a manipulator connected to the mobile platform; and

a controller that is operable to autonomously model at least some of the articles in a stable article arrangement on a first of the support surfaces, to signal the manipulator to autonomously gather the articles in the modeled article arrangement, and to signal the manipulator to autonomously arrange the gathered articles on the first of the support surfaces according to the modeled article arrangement;

wherein the controller is operable to

autonomously model at least some of the articles in a plurality of different article arrangements that each fit within a control volume on the first of the support surfaces, wherein each of the article arrangements has an arrangement density that is equal to a collective volume of the articles in the respective article arrangement to the control volume; and

signal the manipulator to autonomously arrange the gathered articles on the first of the support surfaces according to the modeled article arrangement having the greatest arrangement density.

14. The mobile device as defined in claim 13 , wherein

the articles in the modeled article arrangement comprise a stacked article and one or more base articles; and

the stacked article is stacked on the one or more base articles, and at least one of

each bottom corner of the stacked article is respectively supported by the one or more base articles;

the stacked article has a smaller horizontal cross sectional area than each of the one or more base articles; and

the stacked article weighs less than each of the one or more base articles.

15. The mobile device as defined in claim 13 , wherein the controller is operable to

autonomously model a first group of the articles in the stable article arrangement on the first of the support surfaces;

autonomously model a second group of the articles in a stable second article arrangement on a second of the support surfaces;

signal the manipulator to autonomously gather the first group of the articles and the second group of the articles; and

signal the manipulator to autonomously arrange the first group of the articles on the first of the support surfaces, and the second group of the articles on the second of the support surfaces.

16. The mobile device as defined in claim 13 , further comprising

a second manipulator connected to the mobile platform;

wherein the controller is operable to signal at least one of the manipulator and the second manipulator to autonomously gather a first of the articles in the modeled article arrangement, and to signal at least one of the manipulator and the second manipulator to autonomously arrange the first of the articles on the first of the support surfaces according to the modeled article arrangement.

17. The mobile device as defined in claim 13 , further comprising a pallet jack that is operable to engage a pallet.