CN117193292A

CN117193292A - Robot scheduling method, system, electronic equipment and storage medium

Info

Publication number: CN117193292A
Application number: CN202311048718.3A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张建荣
Original assignee: Beijing Jizhijia Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Jizhijia Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-08-18
Filing date: 2023-08-18
Publication date: 2023-12-08

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of robots, and discloses a robot scheduling method, a system, electronic equipment and a storage medium, wherein the method comprises the following steps: acquiring first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area; wherein the operating region comprises a plurality of channels; determining a first channel with overlapping paths of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information; the plurality of channels includes the first channel; generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the robot type in the first channel; the at least one scheduling instruction is for scheduling the at least one handling robot and/or the at least one sorting robot. By applying the technical scheme of the invention, the area requirement of the robot on the operation site can be reduced, and the working efficiency of the robot is improved.

Description

Robot scheduling method, system, electronic equipment and storage medium

Technical Field

The embodiment of the invention relates to the technical field of robots, in particular to a robot scheduling method, a robot scheduling device, electronic equipment and a storage medium.

Background

With the rapid development of robotics, the life and work patterns of humans have also undergone tremendous changes. For example, in the fields of intelligent warehouse, logistics, manufacturing, and the like, robots for handling tasks such as article handling and sorting, which are capable of performing complex tasks in environments such as warehouse, logistics center, and sorting center, can be configured.

In order to ensure the safety of the robots in the running process, corresponding working areas can be divided for the robots according to tasks executed by the robots, in this case, the robots for executing different tasks, such as a carrying robot and a sorting robot, run in different working areas, so that the two robots cannot generate route overlapping, and the working efficiency and the safety can be both considered. However, this approach requires planning a sufficiently large working area for the robot, and if the working area is too small, operation of a larger number of robots cannot be supported, resulting in a decrease in the overall working efficiency of the robot.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above problems, embodiments of the present invention provide a method, an apparatus, an electronic device, and a storage medium for scheduling robots, which are used to solve the problem in the prior art that the working efficiency of robots is low.

According to an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a robot scheduling method, the method including: acquiring first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area; wherein the operating region comprises a plurality of channels; determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapping path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information; the plurality of channels includes the first channel; generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the robot type in the first channel; the at least one scheduling instruction is for scheduling the at least one handling robot and/or the at least one sorting robot.

In some embodiments, the generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information, and the robot type in the first channel includes: determining a running direction of a first robot to be dispatched and a running direction of the first transfer robot according to the first running information and the second running information under the condition that the robot type in the first channel is the first transfer robot in the at least one transfer robot; wherein the first robot to be dispatched comprises a second transfer robot and/or the at least one sorting robot, the second transfer robot comprising a robot of the at least one transfer robot other than the first transfer robot; generating a first scheduling instruction according to the running direction of the first robot to be scheduled and the running direction of the first transfer robot, wherein the first scheduling instruction is used for indicating to schedule the first robot to be scheduled, and the at least one scheduling instruction comprises the first scheduling instruction.

In some embodiments, the generating a first scheduling instruction according to the traveling direction of the first robot to be scheduled and the traveling direction of the first transfer robot includes: generating a first operation instruction under the condition that the running direction of the first robot to be dispatched is the same as the running direction of the first transfer robot, wherein the first operation instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be dispatched to follow the first transfer robot to run in the first channel, and the first dispatching instruction comprises the first operation instruction; and under the condition that the running directions of the first robot to be scheduled and the first transfer robot are opposite, generating a first waiting instruction, wherein the first waiting instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be scheduled to wait outside the first channel, and the first scheduling instruction comprises the first waiting instruction.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: re-planning a new path for the first robot to be scheduled under the condition that the first robot to be scheduled waits outside the first channel; under the condition that the new path planning is successful, the new path is sent to the first robot to be scheduled, so that the first robot to be scheduled runs on a second channel according to the new path; wherein the second channel is different from the first channel; and under the condition that the new path planning fails, generating a second waiting instruction, wherein the second waiting instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be scheduled to wait outside the first channel until the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: locking the lane direction of the first lane to the traveling direction of the first transfer robot when the first transfer robot travels in the first lane; and switching the channel direction of the first channel to an unlocked state when the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

In some embodiments, the first aisle has an aisle dimension that allows one transfer robot to travel through while transferring cargo.

In some embodiments, the generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information, and the robot type in the first channel includes: determining a driving direction of a second robot to be scheduled and a driving direction of the first sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information under the condition that the robot type in the first channel is a first sorting robot in the at least one sorting robot; wherein the second robot to be dispatched comprises a second sorting robot and/or the at least one handling robot, the second sorting robot comprising a robot of the at least one sorting robot other than the first sorting robot; generating a second scheduling instruction according to the running direction of the second robot to be scheduled and the running direction of the first sorting robot, wherein the second scheduling instruction is used for indicating to schedule the second robot to be scheduled, and the at least one scheduling instruction comprises the second scheduling instruction.

In some embodiments, the generating a second scheduling instruction according to the driving direction of the second robot to be scheduled and the driving direction of the first sorting robot includes: generating a second running instruction according to the running direction of the second sorting robot and the running direction of the first sorting robot; the second operation instruction is used for indicating the second sorting robot and the first sorting robot to travel in the first channel, the second scheduling instruction comprises the second operation instruction, and the traveling directions of the second sorting robot and the first sorting robot are the same or opposite.

In some embodiments, the generating the second operation instruction according to the traveling direction of the second sorting robot and the traveling direction of the first sorting robot includes: generating a first travel instruction and a second travel instruction in a case that the travel direction of the second sorting robot is opposite to the travel direction of the first sorting robot; the first travel instruction is used for indicating the first sorting robot to travel along a first travel path in the first channel, and the second travel instruction is used for indicating the second sorting robot to travel along a second travel path in the first channel; the first driving channel is a driving channel far away from the second sorting robot in the first channel, the second driving channel is a driving channel far away from the first sorting robot in the first channel, and the second driving instruction comprises the first driving instruction and the second driving instruction.

In some embodiments, the generating a second scheduling instruction according to the driving direction of the second robot to be scheduled and the driving direction of the first sorting robot includes: generating a third operation instruction under the condition that the driving direction of the carrying robot in the second robot to be dispatched is the same as the driving direction of the first sorting robot, wherein the third operation instruction is used for indicating the carrying robot to drive along the first sorting robot in the first channel; generating a third waiting instruction under the condition that the running direction of the transfer robot in the second robot to be dispatched is opposite to the running direction of the first sorting robot, wherein the third waiting instruction is used for indicating the transfer robot to wait outside the first channel; the second scheduling instruction includes the third running instruction and/or the third waiting instruction.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: re-planning a new path for the transfer robot if the transfer robot waits outside the first aisle; when the new path planning is successful, the new path is sent to the transfer robot, so that the transfer robot runs in a third channel according to the new path; wherein the third channel is different from the first channel; and under the condition that the new path planning fails, generating a fourth waiting instruction, wherein the fourth waiting instruction is used for indicating the transfer robot to wait outside the first channel until the first sorting robot exits the first channel.

In some embodiments, the first aisle has an aisle dimension that allows at least two sorting robots to travel side-by-side.

In some embodiments, the first operational information includes a task priority of the at least one handling robot, the second operational information includes a task priority of the at least one sorting robot, the method further comprising: determining the sequence of each transfer robot in the at least one transfer robot entering the first channel and the sequence of each sorting robot in the at least one sorting robot entering the first channel according to the task priority of the at least one transfer robot and the task priority of the at least one sorting robot; and generating an entering instruction according to the sequence of entering the transfer robots into the first channel and the sequence of entering the sorting robots into the first channel, wherein the entering instruction is used for instructing the transfer robots and the sorting robots to enter the first channel according to the corresponding sequence.

According to another aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a robot scheduling method applied to a second transfer robot, the method including: acquiring at least one scheduling instruction under the condition of determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot; wherein the at least one transfer robot comprises the second transfer robot; the at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area, wherein the operation area comprises a plurality of channels, and the plurality of channels comprise the first channel; and responding to the at least one scheduling instruction, driving on the first channel or waiting outside the first channel.

In some embodiments, the at least one scheduling instruction includes a first scheduling instruction that is generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first transfer robot of the at least one transfer robot.

In some embodiments, the first scheduling instruction includes a first run instruction or a first wait instruction, the first run instruction being generated if the travel direction of the first transfer robot and the travel direction of the second transfer robot are the same, the first wait instruction being generated if the travel directions of the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot are opposite; the responding to the at least one scheduling instruction, driving on the first channel or waiting outside the first channel, comprising: responding to the first operation instruction, and driving the first transfer robot in the first channel; or, in response to the first wait instruction, waiting outside the first channel.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: when the second transfer robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning is successful, acquiring the new path and driving in the second channel according to the new path; wherein the second channel is different from the first channel; or under the condition that the second transfer robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning fails, acquiring a second waiting instruction, and responding to the second waiting instruction, waiting outside the first channel until the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

In some embodiments, the at least one scheduling instruction includes a second scheduling instruction that is generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first sorting robot of the at least one sorting robots.

In some embodiments, the second scheduling instruction includes a third running instruction or a third waiting instruction, the third running instruction being generated if the running direction of the second transfer robot and the running direction of the first sorting robot are the same, the third waiting instruction being generated if the running direction of the second transfer robot and the running direction of the first sorting robot are opposite, the driving on or waiting off the first lane in response to the at least one scheduling instruction, including: responding to the third operation instruction, and driving the first sorting robot on the first channel; or, in response to the third wait instruction, waiting outside the first channel.

In some embodiments, the first operational information includes a task priority of the at least one handling robot, the second operational information includes a task priority of the at least one sorting robot, the method further comprising: acquiring a first driving-in instruction; the first entering instructions are generated according to the sequence corresponding to the second carrying robot, and the sequence corresponding to the second carrying robot is determined according to the task priority of each carrying robot in the at least one carrying robot and the task priority of each sorting robot in the at least one sorting robot; and responding to the first entering instruction, and entering the first channel.

According to still another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a robot scheduling method applied to a second sorting robot, the method including: acquiring at least one scheduling instruction under the condition of determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot; wherein the at least one sorting robot comprises the second sorting robot; the at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area, wherein the operation area comprises a plurality of channels, and the plurality of channels comprise the first channel; and responding to the at least one scheduling instruction, driving on the first channel or waiting outside the first channel.

In some embodiments, the at least one first scheduling instruction includes a first run instruction or a first wait instruction, the first run instruction being generated if the direction of travel of the second sorting robot and the direction of travel of the first transfer robot are the same, the first wait instruction being generated if the directions of travel of the second sorting robot and the first transfer robot are opposite; the responding to the at least one first scheduling instruction, driving on the first channel or waiting outside the first channel, comprising: responding to the first operation instruction, and driving the first transfer robot in the first channel; or, in response to the first wait instruction, waiting outside the first channel.

In some embodiments, the method further comprises: when the second sorting robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning is successful, acquiring the new path and driving in the second channel according to the new path; wherein the second channel is different from the first channel; or, under the condition that the second sorting robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning fails, acquiring a second waiting instruction, and responding to the second waiting instruction, waiting outside the first channel until the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

In some embodiments, the second scheduling instructions include second execution instructions generated according to a direction of travel of the first sorting robot and a direction of travel of the second sorting robot, the waiting on or off the first lane in response to the at least one scheduling instruction comprising: and responding to the second running instruction, running in the first channel, wherein the running directions of the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot are the same or opposite.

In some embodiments, the second run instructions include a first run instruction and a second run instruction, the first run instruction for instructing the first sorting robot to run along a first lane in the first lane, the running in the first lane in response to the second run instruction comprising: in response to the second travel instruction, traveling along a second travel path in the first path; the first driving channel is a driving channel far away from the second sorting robot in the first channel, and the second driving channel is a driving channel far away from the first sorting robot in the first channel.

In some embodiments, the first operational information includes a task priority of the at least one handling robot, the second operational information includes a task priority of the at least one sorting robot, the method further comprising: acquiring a second driving-in instruction; the second entering instructions are generated according to the sequence corresponding to the second sorting robots, and the sequence corresponding to the second sorting robots is determined according to the task priority of each of the at least one transfer robot and the task priority of each of the at least one sorting robot; and responding to the second entering instruction, and entering the first channel.

According to yet another aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a robot scheduling system, the system including: a control device configured to acquire first operation information of the plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of the plurality of sorting robots in the operation area; determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapping path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information; wherein the operating region comprises a plurality of channels; the plurality of channels includes the first channel; generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the robot type in the first channel, wherein the at least one scheduling instruction is used for scheduling the at least one transfer robot and/or the at least one sorting robot; at least one handling robot and/or at least one sorting robot configured to acquire the at least one scheduling instruction and to travel in accordance with the at least one scheduling instruction.

According to still another aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device, including: a processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to perform the operations of the robot scheduling method described above via execution of the executable instructions.

According to a further aspect of embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program, characterized in that the computer program when executed by a processor implements the steps of the robot scheduling method as described above.

In summary, according to the robot scheduling method, system, electronic device and storage medium of the embodiments of the present invention, first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area may be obtained, a first channel corresponding to an overlapping path of at least one transfer robot and/or at least one sorting robot is determined according to the first operation information and the second operation information, and at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to the first operation information, the second operation information and a robot type in the first channel, so that the at least one transfer robot and/or the at least one sorting robot are scheduled by the at least one scheduling instruction.

According to the method, a first channel corresponding to the overlapping path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot can be determined according to the first operation information and the second operation information, at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the type of the robot in the first channel, so that the carrying robot and/or the sorting robot can be controlled to travel in the same channel, the carrying robot and the sorting robot do not need to be divided into operation areas respectively, the overlarge operation area is avoided, the problems of congestion, collision, deadlock and the like when a plurality of robots travel in the same channel can be avoided, and meanwhile, the working efficiency of the carrying robot and the sorting robot is improved.

The foregoing description is only an overview of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, and may be implemented according to the content of the specification, so that the technical means of the embodiments of the present invention can be more clearly understood, and the following specific embodiments of the present invention are given for clarity and understanding.

Drawings

The drawings are only for purposes of illustrating embodiments and are not to be construed as limiting the invention. Also, like reference numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the figures. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an operating region provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 shows a flowchart of a robot scheduling method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first channel according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 shows a flowchart of another robot scheduling method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of yet another robot scheduling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of yet another robot scheduling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of yet another robot scheduling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 8 shows a driving schematic diagram of a robot according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of yet another robot scheduling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 shows a flowchart of yet another robot scheduling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of yet another robot scheduling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of yet another robot scheduling method provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of a robot scheduling system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 14 shows a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present invention are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present invention may be embodied in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

The embodiment of the invention provides a robot scheduling method, which can be applied to a control device, so that the control device can acquire first operation information of a plurality of carrying robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area, determine a first channel corresponding to an overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information, and generate at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the type of the robots in the first channel so as to schedule the at least one carrying robot and/or the at least one sorting robot through the at least one scheduling instruction.

Among other things, the control means are devices or tools for monitoring, operating and adjusting the robot, which can be used for controlling and managing various parameters, functions and operations of the robot. The operation area is a working area where a plurality of transfer robots and a plurality of sorting robots are located, the transfer robots and the sorting robots can operate on the same plane, and the plane can be the ground or a high-rise platform above the ground. The operating area may include a plurality of aisles therein, which may be planned and set according to certain criteria to ensure that the handling robots and sorting robots may move freely and avoid obstacles. Parameters such as the length and the height of the channel can be planned according to the size of the robot, the actual conditions of the running area and the like.

The transfer robot and the sorting robot can travel in the same operation area and perform loading, unloading, transporting and stacking tasks of goods or materials. Wherein the transfer robot may be used to transfer a larger number of goods or materials that may be placed in containers, shelves, cages, etc. The transfer robot is capable of transferring a container, shelf, cage, or the like loaded with a load or material, and traveling in a aisle, thereby transferring the container or container, shelf, cage, or the like from one location to another.

The sorting robot may be used to sort or sort individual goods or materials according to preset rules. In performing sorting tasks, the sorting robot may pick up and travel in a aisle to deliver or transfer goods or materials from one location to another. In some embodiments, the sorting robot may be provided with a visual recognition system with which the characteristics of the material or goods can be recognized, accurately taken and placed in the corresponding location.

Since the transfer robot and the sorting robot transfer the cargo in different amounts and the transfer robot transfers the cargo in an amount greatly exceeding that of the sorting robot, the transfer robot is generally larger in size when transferring a cargo box or the like than the sorting robot. Illustratively, the goods or materials handled by the sorting robot may be items, packages, stock units (Stock Keeping Unit, SKU), etc.

The first operation information refers to operation information of the plurality of transfer robots, and may include position information, path information, task information, operation state, and the like of each of the plurality of transfer robots.

The position information may include a current position and a target position of the transfer robot, a start position, and the like, and the path information refers to travel path information of the transfer robot, and may include a route from the start position to the target position of the transfer robot, a travel direction on each route, and the like. The task information refers to tasks executed by the transfer robot, and may include a currently executed task, a currently to-be-executed task, a task that has been executed to complete, and the like, and each task may include the number and attribute of the transferred goods, as well as a start position and a target position of the transferred goods, a route, a transfer time, a time consumption, and the like. The operational status may include whether the transfer robot is in a moving state, whether a task is being performed or waiting for a task to be issued, whether an obstacle is encountered, battery level, battery temperature, and the like.

The second operation information refers to operation information of a plurality of sorting robots, which may include visual information, position information, path information, task information, operation status, sorting results, and the like of each of the plurality of sorting robots. The visual information refers to material images or characteristic information captured by a visual recognition system of the sorting robot. The sorting result refers to a result that the sorting robot places cargoes to corresponding positions according to preset rules, and comprises the number of correctly classified cargoes, the number of wrong cargoes and the like.

Correspondingly, the position information of the sorting robot can comprise the current position, the target position, the initial position and the like of the sorting robot, and the path information refers to the driving path information of the sorting robot. The task information refers to sorting tasks executed by the sorting robot, and may include a sorting task currently executed, a sorting task currently to be executed, a sorting task completed by execution, and the like, and each task may include the number and attribute of sorted cargos, and the position, route, sorting time, time consumption, and the like of acquiring and placing the sorted cargos. The operational status may include whether the sorting robot is in a moving state, whether a task is being performed or waiting for a task to be issued, whether an obstacle is encountered, battery charge, battery temperature, and the like.

The overlapping paths of the robots mean that the travel paths of the plurality of robots are located in the same lane at the same time, for example, the travel paths of the plurality of transfer robots are located in the same lane at the same time, or the travel paths of the plurality of sorting robots are located in the same lane at the same time, or the travel paths of the transfer robots and the sorting robots are all located in the same lane at the same time.

For convenience in explaining an application scenario of the robot scheduling method provided in this embodiment, fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an operation area provided in an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in fig. 1, the operation area 100 may include a channel area 110, a dock area 120, a cargo storage area 130, and a cargo box storage area 140.

The channel region 110 is a cell region shown in fig. 1, and the channel region 110 may include a plurality of channels, and each channel may be a straight channel or a straight channel with a corner. The bin area 120 is two areas located in the middle of the run area 100. The bin area 120 may be provided with a plurality of bins, each of which may house one or more containers, each of which may be used to house sorted goods. Cargo storage area 130 is for storing cargo to be sorted and cargo box storage area 140 may be for storing cargo boxes filled with cargo.

The sorting robot may travel in the aisle area 110 and acquire the goods to be sorted from the goods storage area 130, and then carry the goods to be sorted to the gate area 120 and drop to the corresponding bins.

When the pallet is full, the transfer robot can transfer the pallet full of pallet at the dock area 120 to the pallet storage area 140 and then transfer an empty pallet from the pallet storage area 140 to the original dock. Meanwhile, when the goods are fully placed in the containers at the grid openings, the grid openings are locked, the target positions of the sorting robots in the driving process can be updated, and the goods are prevented from being placed in the containers which are fully placed in the containers.

In the operation area 100 shown in fig. 1, the transfer robot and the sorting robot can travel in each lane, so that in some cases, a case where the transfer robot and the sorting robot exist simultaneously in one lane, that is, the two robots travel in a common lane, may occur.

It should be noted that the operation area shown in fig. 1 is only used as an example, and the operation area may be configured in different manners according to actual requirements of the site, for example, the gate area, the cargo storage area, and the cargo storage area may be disposed in different positions, which is not limited in this embodiment.

By applying the scheme, the first channel corresponding to the overlapping path of at least one transfer robot and/or at least one sorting robot can be determined according to the first operation information of the transfer robots and the second operation information of the sorting robots, and at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the type of robot in the first channel so as to schedule the transfer robot and/or the sorting robot, so that the transfer robot and the sorting robot can be scheduled to travel in the same channel, the transfer robot and the sorting robot do not need to divide operation areas respectively, the operation areas are avoided from being too large, the problems of congestion, collision, deadlock and the like when the transfer robot and the sorting robot travel in the same channel can be avoided, and meanwhile, the work efficiency of the transfer robot and the sorting robot is improved.

Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of a robot scheduling method according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2, the method may include the following steps 210 to 230:

step 210: first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area are acquired. Wherein the operating region includes a plurality of channels.

In order to schedule robots in an operation area, the control device may acquire first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in the operation area. The control device may, for example, establish a communication connection with each robot via a wireless network or the like, and acquire operation information of each robot, such as first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots, via the communication connection.

In some embodiments, the first operation information may be acquired in different manners according to the information type in the first operation information.

For example, as for the position information and the operation state in the first operation information, and the like, it is possible to obtain by various sensors equipped with the transfer robot, such as a positioning sensor, a distance sensor, a battery monitoring sensor, and the like. The positioning sensor has higher positioning precision and can be used for determining the position information of the transfer robot in the operation area; the distance sensor may detect the distance between the transfer robot and the obstacle, and thus may determine whether the transfer robot encounters the obstacle, the position and distance of the obstacle, and the like. The battery monitoring sensor can be used for monitoring battery electric quantity, battery temperature and the like of the transfer robot.

For the path information and the task information in the first operation information, since the information can be determined and generated by the control device according to the task to be executed, the state of the global robot and the like, the information can be directly obtained from the local or cloud by the control device.

Correspondingly, the second operation information can be acquired in different modes according to the information type in the second operation information. For example, visual information of the sorting robot may be acquired through a camera configured by the sorting robot, position information of the sorting robot may be acquired through a positioning sensor, and operation states of the sorting robot, such as obstacle information and battery power, battery temperature, etc., may be acquired through a distance sensor, a battery monitoring sensor, etc. The control device can also acquire path information, task information and the like in the second running information from the local or cloud. When each sorting robot finishes sorting cargoes, the sorting result of the sorting robot can be determined according to the position reached by the sorted cargoes.

By acquiring the first operation information and the second operation information, operation monitoring of the carrying robots and the sorting robots in the operation area can be realized, and a data basis is provided for scheduling each robot.

Step 220: and determining a first channel corresponding to the overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information. Wherein the plurality of channels includes a first channel.

In this embodiment, the overlapping path may be determined according to whether or not the travel paths of the plurality of robots are located in the same lane at the same time. For example, assuming that the transfer robot and the sorting robot each pass through the lane a in the time period of t1-t2 (t 1< t 2), it is explained that the travel paths of the transfer robot and the sorting robot in the time period of t1-t2 overlap, and the lane a is a lane corresponding to the overlapping path, that is, the first lane.

According to the first operation information and the second operation information, the control device can analyze the operation conditions of each carrying robot and each sorting robot in the operation area. For example, the travel path of each robot may be determined according to the path information in the first operation information and the path information in the second operation information, and further, whether a certain travel path of a plurality of robots exists in the same channel in the same time period may be determined according to the travel path of each robot, and if so, it is indicated that the travel paths of the robots overlap in the same channel, and the same channel is the first channel.

Referring to fig. 3, assuming that the travel paths of the transfer robot S1 and the sorting robot R1 in the travel area 100 are as shown in fig. 3, it can be seen that the travel paths of the transfer robot S1 and the sorting robot R1 are located in the same lane in the F1 travel section, the overlapping path of the transfer robot S1 and the sorting robot R1 is the F1 travel section, and the paths corresponding to the other travel sections do not overlap. At this time, the first lane may refer to a part of the straight lane where the traveling section of the overlapping path F1 is located.

Step 230: and generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the type of the robot in the first channel.

Wherein the at least one scheduling instruction is used for scheduling the at least one handling robot and/or the at least one sorting robot. The robot types in the first lane may include a transfer robot and/or a sorting robot, i.e., the robot traveling in the first lane may be a transfer robot, a sorting robot, or both a transfer robot and a sorting robot, and the number of robots in the first lane may be one or a plurality.

Because the tasks executed by the carrying robot and the sorting robot are different, in order to improve the scheduling flexibility of the carrying robot and the sorting robot, the running modes of other robots corresponding to the first channel, such as whether to drive into the first channel, when to drive into the first channel, the running mode after driving into the first channel, and the like, can be determined according to the type of the robot in the first channel, the first running information of the plurality of carrying robots and the second running information of the plurality of sorting robots.

Therefore, through the steps 210 to 230, the scheduling manner of the transfer robot and/or the sorting robot to be driven into the first channel corresponding to the overlapping path can be determined based on the first operation information of the plurality of first transfer robots and the second operation information of the plurality of sorting robots, so that the driving scheduling of the transfer robot and the sorting robot in the same channel can be realized, the requirement of the global robot on the area of the operation area can be reduced, and the operation efficiency of the global robot can be improved by driving the scheduling robot.

In each aisle of the operating area, the transfer robot and the sorting robot can travel in the aisle. When there is no robot traveling in the aisle, the aisle may allow any one robot to travel through.

Based on the type of robot in the aisle, it may be determined whether other robots to be driven into the aisle can be driven in the aisle and safely passed. Specifically, in some embodiments, referring to FIG. 4, step 230 may be implemented by:

step 410: in case the robot type in the first aisle is a first transfer robot of the at least one transfer robot, determining a traveling direction of the first robot to be dispatched and a traveling direction of the first transfer robot based on the first and second operation information.

Wherein the first transfer robot may comprise one or more of the at least one transfer robots described above. The first robot to be dispatched refers to a robot to be driven into the first lane when the robot type in the first lane is a first transfer robot, and may include a second transfer robot and/or at least one sorting robot, where the second transfer robot may include a robot other than the first transfer robot among the at least one transfer robots, and the number of the second transfer robots may be one or more.

When the robot type in the first channel is the first transfer robot, other robots to be driven into the first channel, namely the first robot to be scheduled and the driving direction of the first robot to be scheduled, can be determined according to the first operation information and the second operation information, and meanwhile, the driving direction of the first transfer robot can be determined according to the first operation information.

For example, it may be determined whether other transfer robots and sorting robots overlap the path of the first transfer robot in the first lane according to the path information in the first operation information and the path information in the second operation information, and if there is a second transfer robot and/or at least one sorting robot whose travel path overlaps the path of the first transfer robot in the first lane, it is indicated that the second transfer robot and/or at least one sorting robot needs to travel into the first lane during the travel of the first transfer robot in the first lane, which is a robot that needs to be scheduled.

Since the first transfer robot is a transfer robot traveling in the first lane, the traveling direction thereof can be directly determined. The path direction is generally the same as the traveling direction, so the traveling direction of the first robot to be scheduled may be determined according to the path information in the first traveling information and the path information in the second traveling information. For example, the path direction of the second transfer robot in the first path in the first robot to be dispatched may be determined according to the path information in the first operation information, so as to determine the traveling direction of the second transfer robot; and determining the path direction of at least one sorting robot in the first channel in the first robot to be dispatched according to the path information in the second running information, and further determining the running direction of the at least one sorting robot.

Step 420: and generating a first dispatching instruction according to the running direction of the first robot to be dispatched and the running direction of the first transfer robot.

The first scheduling instruction is used for indicating to schedule the first robot to be scheduled, and the at least one scheduling instruction can include the first scheduling instruction.

In the first lane, the first robot to be dispatched may have the same traveling direction as the first transfer robot or may be opposite to the first transfer robot. The first robot to be dispatched may be dispatched according to whether the first robot to be dispatched and the first transfer robot travel in the same direction in the first channel. For example, when the traveling direction of the first robot to be scheduled is the same as the first transfer robot, a traveling instruction may be transmitted to the robots in the first robot to be scheduled so that one or more of the first robots to be scheduled may travel following the first transfer robot. Further, in order to avoid collision, the travel speed of the first robot to be scheduled may be less than or equal to the travel speed of the first transfer robot during travel.

In the above method, the number of robots that follow the first transfer robot may be determined according to a preset safety distance between robots, a channel length, and the like, which is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

For another example, when the traveling direction of the first robot to be scheduled is opposite to that of the first transfer robot, it may be determined whether the robot in the first robot to be scheduled and the first transfer robot satisfy the simultaneous traveling condition, and if so, a traveling instruction may be sent to the robot in the first robot to be scheduled so that one or more robots in the first robot to be scheduled travel into the first lane, at which time the one or more robots in the first robot to be scheduled and the first transfer robot may meet in the first lane and then depart from the first lane in the opposite direction. If the robot in the first robot to be dispatched and the first transfer robot do not meet the simultaneous driving condition, a waiting instruction can be sent to one or more robots in the first robot to be dispatched, so that the one or more robots in the first robot to be dispatched can drive into the first channel again when the first transfer robot drives out of the first channel.

The simultaneous traveling condition refers to a condition that a plurality of robots traveling in opposite directions travel in the same lane, and may be set according to the width of the lane, the size of the robots, and the like, which is not particularly limited in this embodiment.

Through the steps 410 to 420, when the robot in the first channel is the first transfer robot, the first robot to be dispatched can be determined, and the first robot to be dispatched is dispatched according to the traveling direction of the first robot to be dispatched in the first channel and the traveling direction of the first transfer robot in the first channel, so that both the first robot to be dispatched and the first transfer robot can safely pass through the first channel, and the problems of congestion, collision and the like caused by simultaneous entering the first channel are avoided, and the working efficiency of the robot can be ensured to a certain extent.

Specifically, in some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5, step 420 may be implemented by:

step 510: and generating a first running instruction under the condition that the running direction of the first robot to be dispatched is the same as the running direction of the first transfer robot.

The first scheduling instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be scheduled to follow the first transfer robot to run in the first channel, and the first scheduling instruction comprises the first operating instruction.

When the running direction of the first robot to be dispatched is the same as the running direction of the first transfer robot, in order to improve the channel utilization rate and the running efficiency of the robot, a first running instruction can be generated and sent to the first robot to be dispatched, so that the first robot to be dispatched can run behind the first transfer robot to pass through the first channel. In this case, the respective robots may be arranged in one or more columns to sequentially pass through the first passage, so that the passage width of the first passage may be set to a smaller size without occupying an excessively large area for the entire operation area.

For example, when there are a plurality of robots in the first robot to be dispatched, the respective robots may be arranged in a row and follow the first transfer robot to travel, or may be arranged in a plurality of rows and follow the first transfer robot to travel.

Step 520 generates a first waiting instruction in case the traveling directions of the first robot to be dispatched and the first transfer robot are opposite.

The first waiting instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be scheduled to wait outside the first channel, and the first scheduling instruction comprises the first waiting instruction.

When the running direction of the first robot to be dispatched is opposite to the running direction of the first transfer robot, in order to avoid collision or congestion, a first waiting instruction may be generated, and the first waiting instruction may be sent to the first robot to be dispatched, so that the first robot to be dispatched waits outside the first channel during the running of the first transfer robot in the first channel.

Therefore, by the method, whether the first robot to be dispatched drives into the first channel or waits outside the first channel can be determined according to whether the driving direction of the first robot to be dispatched is the same as the first transfer robot, and the traffic safety of the first robot to be dispatched and the first transfer robot can be ensured.

When the first robot to be dispatched waits outside the first channel, if the duration of the first transfer robot in the first channel is too long, the first robot to be dispatched is in a waiting state for a long time, and the working efficiency of the first robot to be dispatched is affected. Accordingly, in order to improve the working efficiency of the robot, in some embodiments, referring to fig. 6, the following method may be performed:

step 610: and re-planning a new path for the first robot to be scheduled under the condition that the first robot to be scheduled waits outside the first channel.

For example, a new path from the current position to the target position may be re-planned for the first robot to be scheduled according to path information of other robots than the first path and operation information of the first robot to be scheduled. When a plurality of paths are re-planned, the nearest path may be selected therefrom as a new path.

Step 620: and under the condition that the new path planning is successful, sending a new path to the first robot to be scheduled, so that the first robot to be scheduled runs on the second channel according to the new path.

Wherein the second channel is different from the first channel, i.e. the second channel is any one of the other channels than the first channel.

Whether the new path planning is successful or not means whether a new path can be generated according to the path information of the robots except the first path and the running information of the first robot to be scheduled, if the new path can be calculated, the fact that a path for the first robot to be scheduled to run exists in the running area is indicated, and the new path planning is successful. At this time, a new path may be transmitted to the first robot to be scheduled, so that the first robot to be scheduled determines a second path according to the new path and travels in the second path.

Step 630: and generating a second waiting instruction under the condition that the new path planning fails. The second waiting instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be scheduled to wait outside the first channel until the first carrying robot exits the first channel.

If the new path cannot be calculated, a channel for the first robot to travel is temporarily unavailable in the operation area, and the new path planning fails, a second waiting instruction can be generated at the moment, so that the first robot to be scheduled continues to wait outside the first channel according to the action indicated by the second waiting instruction until the first transfer robot exits the first channel and enters the first channel.

During the period that the first robot to be scheduled continues to wait outside the first channel according to the second waiting instruction, a new path can be continuously planned, if the new path planning is successful, the new path can be sent to the first robot to be scheduled so that the first robot to be scheduled runs according to the new path, if the new path planning still fails, the instruction waiting outside the first channel can be continuously sent to the first robot to be scheduled so that the first robot to be scheduled continues to wait, or the instruction can not be sent to the first robot to be scheduled so that the first robot to be scheduled can continue to execute the second waiting instruction and wait outside the first channel.

By the method, the running condition of the robot outside the first channel can be monitored in real time, and the path is re-planned for the robot in the waiting state outside the first channel, so that the waiting time of the first robot to be scheduled outside the first channel is reduced, and the working efficiency of the first robot to be scheduled is improved.

It should be understood that, during the period that the first robot to be scheduled waits outside the first channel, the other robots may automatically avoid the waiting area of the first robot to be scheduled through the autonomous navigation system, or the control device may also generate a new path for the other robots according to the waiting area of the first robot to be scheduled, so that the other robots can avoid the waiting area of the first robot to be scheduled.

To facilitate scheduling of robots, in some embodiments, the control device may also perform the following method:

when the first transfer robot travels in the first lane, the lane direction of the first lane is locked to the travel direction of the first transfer robot.

When the first transfer robot exits the first lane, the lane direction of the first lane is switched to the unlock state.

That is, during the travel of the first transfer robot in the first lane, the lane direction of the first lane may be dynamically changed, which always coincides with the travel direction of the first transfer robot. When other robots want to enter the first passage, if the running direction is consistent with the passage direction, allowing to enter the first passage and running in the first passage along with the first carrying robot; if the driving direction does not coincide with the direction of the aisle, no entry into the first aisle is allowed.

When the first transfer robot exits the first lane, the lane direction of the first lane is unlocked, other robots can enter the first lane, and after entering the first lane, the lane direction of the first lane is switched to the traveling direction of the newly entering robot.

In some embodiments, the transfer robot may be used to transfer large items such as containers, shelves, cages, etc., as compared to a sorting robot, which may be used to sort single or smaller numbers of items, so the transfer robot is typically larger in size than the sorting robot, and the containers, shelves, cages, etc., are themselves typically larger in size than the transfer robot, so the transfer robot is also configured to transfer the containers, and the overall size of the transfer robot and container is also larger than the transfer robot.

Thus, to ensure that the robot can successfully pass within the aisle, in some embodiments, the aisle dimension of the first aisle may allow one transfer robot to travel through while transferring cargo. That is, the first passage may have a passage size that allows one transfer robot to pass through when a container or a container is not loaded, or that allows one transfer robot to pass through when a container or a container is loaded.

Based on the type of robot in the first channel, in some embodiments, referring to fig. 7, step 230 may also be implemented by:

step 710: in case the robot type in the first channel is a first sorting robot of the at least one sorting robot, determining a travelling direction of the second robot to be scheduled and a travelling direction of the first sorting robot according to the first and second travelling information.

Wherein the first sorting robot may comprise one or more of the above-mentioned at least one sorting robot. The second robot to be dispatched refers to a robot to be driven into the first channel when the type of the robot in the first channel is a first sorting robot, and may include a second sorting robot and/or at least one handling robot, where the second sorting robot includes at least one sorting robot other than the first sorting robot, and the number of the second sorting robots may be one or multiple.

When the robot type in the first channel is the first sorting robot, other robots to be driven into the first channel, namely the second robot to be scheduled, the driving direction of the second robot to be scheduled and the driving direction of the first sorting robot, can be determined according to the first operation information and the second operation information.

For example, it may be determined whether other transfer robots and sorting robots overlap the path of the first sorting robot in the first lane according to the path information in the first operation information and the path information in the second operation information, and if there is a second sorting robot and/or at least one transfer robot whose travel path overlaps the path of the first sorting robot in the first lane, it is indicated that the second sorting robot and/or at least one transfer robot needs to travel into the first lane during the travel of the first sorting robot in the first lane, which is a robot that needs to be scheduled.

The running direction of the first sorting robot is the direction of the first sorting robot when running in the first channel, and can be directly acquired. The travelling direction of the second robot to be dispatched can be determined according to the path direction of the second robot in the first channel, and the path direction is the same as the travelling direction.

Step 720: and generating a second dispatching instruction according to the running direction of the second robot to be dispatched and the running direction of the first sorting robot.

The second scheduling instruction is used for indicating to schedule the second robot to be scheduled, and the at least one scheduling instruction comprises the second scheduling instruction.

In the first channel, the traveling direction of the second robot to be dispatched may be the same as the first sorting robot or may be opposite to the second sorting robot. According to the type of the robot in the second robot to be dispatched and whether the robots of various types and the first sorting robot run in the same direction in the first channel, the robots of the corresponding type in the second robot to be dispatched can be dispatched.

For example, the second operation instruction may be generated according to a traveling direction of the second sorting robot and a traveling direction of the first sorting robot.

The second scheduling instruction may include the second running instruction, where the running directions of the second sorting robot and the first sorting robot are the same or opposite. The second operation instruction is used for indicating the second sorting robot and the first sorting robot to travel in the first channel.

In other words, for the second sorting robot among the second robots to be scheduled, the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot can be controlled to travel in the first lane at the same time, regardless of whether the traveling directions of the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot are the same. At this time, the first lane can support a plurality of sorting robots to travel side by side.

If the number of the second sorting robots is plural, the number of sorting robots traveling in parallel in the first path may be two or more, and the specific numerical value may be determined according to the number of robots allowed to be parallel in the first path.

When the traveling direction of the first sorting robot and the traveling direction of the second sorting robot are the same, the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot may travel side by side or may travel in the order of entering the first passage. When the running direction of the first sorting robot is opposite to the running direction of the second sorting robot, the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot can respectively drive into the first channel from two ends of the first channel, and respectively drive out from opposite ends of the channel after the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot meet.

In some embodiments, the first travel instruction and the second travel instruction may be generated in a case where a travel direction of the second sorting robot and a travel direction of the first sorting robot are opposite.

The first driving instruction is used for indicating the first sorting robot to drive along a first driving channel in the first channel, and the second driving instruction is used for indicating the second sorting robot to drive along a second driving channel in the first channel. The first driving channel is a driving channel far away from the second sorting robot in the first channel, the second driving channel is a driving channel far away from the first sorting robot in the first channel, and the second driving instruction comprises a first driving instruction and a second driving instruction.

As shown in fig. 8, when the traveling direction of the second sorting robot R2 and the traveling direction of the first sorting robot R1 are opposite, a first traveling instruction may be generated so that the first sorting robot R1 may travel against one side of the first lane, and a second traveling instruction may be generated so that the second sorting robot R2 may travel against the other side of the first lane. In this way, the first sorting robot R1 and the second sorting robot R2 can travel in the first lane at the same time without collision.

As previously described, the second robots to be dispatched may include a second sorting robot and/or at least one handling robot. Based on this, for the transfer robot in the second robot to be dispatched, the second dispatch instruction may include a third run instruction and/or a third wait instruction in order that it may travel in the first lane. As shown in fig. 9, the following method may be performed:

step 910: and generating a third running instruction under the condition that the running direction of the transfer robot in the second robot to be dispatched is the same as the running direction of the first sorting robot.

The third running instruction is used for instructing the carrying robot to follow the first sorting robot to run in the first channel.

When the traveling direction of the transfer robot in the second robot to be dispatched is the same as the traveling direction of the first sorting robot, the transfer robot can travel along with the first sorting robot without being influenced by the first sorting robot, and therefore, a third operation instruction can be generated, so that the transfer robot can travel along with the first sorting robot in the first channel when receiving the third operation instruction.

Further, in order to ensure that the transfer robot does not have a rear-end collision with the first sorting robot or the like, the travel speed of the transfer robot in the first lane may be less than or equal to the travel speed of the first sorting robot.

Step 920: and generating a third waiting instruction under the condition that the running direction of the carrying robot in the second robot to be dispatched is opposite to the running direction of the first sorting robot.

The third waiting instruction is used for indicating the transfer robot to wait outside the first channel.

When the traveling direction of the transfer robot in the second robot to be dispatched is opposite to the traveling direction of the first sorting robot, the transfer robot can wait for the first sorting robot to travel out of the first channel and then enter the first channel, so that a third waiting instruction can be generated, and the transfer robot can wait outside the first channel.

When the waiting area of the carrying robot occupies a part of the area of other channels, other robots can be controlled to avoid the waiting area until the waiting area is released, or the route can be re-planned for the other robots, so that the other robots can avoid the waiting area when driving according to the newly planned route.

Accordingly, to reduce the waiting time of the robot and improve the working efficiency, in some embodiments, the following method may be further performed:

and re-planning a new path for the transfer robot in the case that the transfer robot waits outside the first channel.

And when the new path planning is successful, sending a new path to the transfer robot so that the transfer robot can travel in the third channel according to the new path. Wherein the third channel is different from the first channel.

And under the condition that the new path planning fails, generating a fourth waiting instruction, wherein the fourth waiting instruction is used for indicating the carrying robot to wait outside the first channel until the first sorting robot exits the first channel.

For example, when the transfer robot waits outside the first lane, the control device may calculate a path from the current position to the target position of the transfer robot according to the operation information of the other robots except the first sorting robot, and re-plan a new path for the transfer robot. If a new path can be planned, a new path can be sent to the transfer robot, so that the transfer robot can determine a third channel according to the new path and travel in the third channel without continuing to wait for the third channel to be released. If a new path cannot be planned, a fourth waiting instruction may be generated, such that the transfer robot continues to wait outside the first aisle until the first sorting robot exits the first aisle.

During the period that the transfer robot continues to wait outside the first channel according to the fourth waiting instruction, a new path can be continuously planned, if the new path planning is successful, the transfer robot can send the new path to enable the transfer robot to travel according to the new path, if the new path planning still fails, the transfer robot can continue to send the instruction waiting outside the first channel to enable the transfer robot to continue waiting, or the transfer robot can not send the instruction to enable the transfer robot to continue executing the fourth waiting instruction to wait outside the first channel.

By the method, the running condition of the transfer robot outside the first channel can be monitored in real time, and the path is re-planned for the transfer robot in a waiting state outside the first channel, so that the waiting time of the transfer robot outside the first channel is reduced, and the working efficiency of the transfer robot is improved.

Since the sorting robots handle a smaller number of loads, typically smaller in size than the handling robots, in some embodiments the lane size of the first lane may allow multiple sorting robots to travel through, such as may allow at least two sorting robots to travel through side-by-side. For example, the at least two sorting robots may travel side by side through the first aisle in the same direction, or may travel in opposite directions through the first aisle.

In some embodiments, the first channel may be sized to allow passage through one handling robot, or to allow passage through two sorting robots. In this case, 2×d1 (size of sorting robot) < size D <2×d2 of first lane (size of transfer robot for transferring a container or the like), and D2> D1.

Through such passageway setting, can ensure that transfer robot and letter sorting robot can both pass through first passageway, and the size of first passageway can not be too big, so the area of the operation region of whole robot also need not occupy too much, so can reduce the robot operation and to the requirement of operation region area.

Further, when the plurality of robots travel in the same lane, the order in which the robots enter the lane is different, and in order to determine the order in which the robots travel, in some embodiments, the first operation information may include task priorities of at least one transfer robot, and the second operation information may include task priorities of at least one sorting robot. The task priority may represent the importance of the robot to execute the task, and the higher the task priority, the higher the importance of executing the task.

Thus, as shown in fig. 10, the following method may also be performed:

Step 1010: and determining the sequence of each transfer robot entering the first channel in the at least one transfer robot and the sequence of each sorting robot entering the first channel in the at least one sorting robot according to the task priority of the at least one transfer robot and the task priority of the at least one sorting robot.

For example, robots with task priorities from high to low may be determined sequentially according to task priorities of at least one transfer robot and task priorities of at least one sorting robot, and the order of the robots entering the first channel is the same as the task priorities corresponding to the robots, that is, robots with higher task priorities enter the first channel preferentially, and robots with lower task priorities enter the first channel more backward.

Since the transfer robot is used to transfer more goods than the sorting robot, in some embodiments, the transfer robot may default to a higher task priority than the sorting robot without setting the task priority of the sorting robot. If the task priorities of the transfer robot and the sorting robot are set, the driving-in sequence of the robots is determined according to the set task priorities.

Step 1020: an entry instruction is generated according to the order in which the transfer robots enter the first lane and the order in which the sorting robots enter the first lane.

The driving-in instructions are used for indicating the carrying robots and the sorting robots to drive in the first channel according to the corresponding sequence.

When each robot has the condition of entering the first channel, for example, when the robot is allowed to enter the first channel, each robot can sequentially enter the first channel according to the sequence corresponding to the priorities of the tasks, so that the robot scheduling based on the priorities of the tasks can be realized, the robot with higher priorities of the tasks can be ensured to use the first channel preferentially, the running efficiency of the overall robot can be improved, and the working efficiency can be further improved.

According to the robot scheduling method provided by the embodiment, the transfer robot and the sorting robot can be controlled to run in the same channel, the operation areas do not need to be divided for the transfer robot and the sorting robot respectively, the overlarge occupied area of the operation areas is avoided, the problems of congestion, collision, deadlock and the like when a plurality of robots run in the same channel can be avoided, meanwhile, the waiting time of the robots can be reduced, and the working efficiency is improved by scheduling the transfer robot and the sorting robot.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a robot scheduling method, which can be applied to a second carrying robot, so that the second carrying robot can acquire at least one scheduling instruction under the condition of determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot, and can drive in the first channel or wait outside the first channel in response to the at least one scheduling instruction.

Wherein the at least one transfer robot includes a second transfer robot, and the number of the second transfer robots may be one or more; the at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to first operation information of the plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of the plurality of sorting robots in an operation area, and the operation area may include a plurality of lanes including the first lane. The scheduling instruction may be used to instruct the second transfer robot to travel in the corresponding lane, or to enter a waiting state, etc.

The first operation information may include operation information of a plurality of transfer robots, such as position information, path information, task information, operation status, and the like. The second operation information may include operation information of a plurality of sorting robots, such as visual information, location information, path information, task information, operation status, sorting results, and the like.

The overlapping paths refer to that the travel paths of the multiple robots are located in the same channel at the same time, for example, the travel paths of two or more transfer robots in the same time slot are located in the same channel, or the travel paths of two or more sorting robots in the same time slot are located in the same channel, or the travel paths of m transfer robots and n sorting robots in the same time slot are located in the same channel, wherein m and n are positive integers greater than 1.

For example, the scheduling instruction may determine, by the control device, whether a situation exists in which the travel paths pass through the same channel at the same time between the plurality of transfer robots and each of the plurality of sorting robots according to the path information in the first operation information and the path information in the second operation information, and if so, the paths of the robots in the same channel overlap, the channel corresponding to the overlapping path is the first channel, and the robot having the overlapping path is the robot to be driven into the same channel.

In some embodiments, the at least one scheduling instruction may include a first scheduling instruction that is generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first transfer robot of the at least one transfer robots.

Wherein the first transfer robot may comprise one or more of the at least one transfer robots described above.

For example, when the robot type in the first lane is a first transfer robot, the control device may determine, according to the first operation information and the second operation information, a second transfer robot to be driven into the first lane where the first transfer robot is located, and a driving direction of the second transfer robot, determine, according to the driving direction of the first transfer robot and the driving direction of the second transfer robot, a dispatch driving manner of the second transfer robot, generate at least one first dispatch instruction, and send the first dispatch instruction to the second transfer robot, so as to control the second transfer robot to drive.

When the first scheduling instruction is received, the second transfer robot may analyze the first scheduling instruction, determine a driving mode indicated by the first scheduling instruction, such as whether to start driving, a driving speed, a driving route, a driving channel, and the like, and then the second transfer robot may drive in a corresponding channel or wait in a corresponding position according to the mode indicated by the first scheduling instruction.

By the method, when the robot in the first channel is the first transfer robot, the second transfer robot can acquire the first scheduling instruction and run according to the first scheduling instruction, so that running safety and running efficiency of the second transfer robot are ensured.

In some embodiments, the first scheduling instruction may include a first running instruction or a first waiting instruction. Wherein the first operation instruction is generated when the traveling direction of the first transfer robot and the traveling direction of the second transfer robot are the same, and the first waiting instruction is generated when the traveling directions of the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot are opposite.

That is, when the traveling directions of the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot are the same, the control device may generate the first operation instruction and transmit the first operation instruction to the second transfer robot. When the traveling directions of the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot are opposite, the control device may generate a first waiting instruction and send the second waiting instruction to the second transfer robot.

Based on this, the second transfer robot may perform the following method:

in response to the first operation instruction, the first transfer robot is followed to travel in the first passage. That is, upon receiving the first operation instruction, the second transfer robot may enter the first lane as instructed by the first operation instruction and travel in the first lane following the first transfer robot.

And responding to the first waiting instruction and waiting outside the first channel. That is, when the first waiting instruction is received, the second transfer robot may wait outside the first lane as indicated by the first waiting instruction until a new instruction is received, and start traveling or continue waiting.

To reduce the waiting time of the second transfer robot, in some embodiments, referring to fig. 11, the second transfer robot may further perform the following method:

step 1110: and under the condition that the second transfer robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning is successful, acquiring a new path and driving in the second channel according to the new path.

Wherein the second channel is different from the first channel.

During the period that the second carrying robot waits outside the first channel, the control device can re-plan a new path for the second carrying robot according to the operation information of other robots driving outside the first channel, if the new path can be planned, the new path planning is successful, the control device can send the new path to the second carrying robot, the second carrying robot can stop waiting when receiving the new path, and determine the second channel according to the new path and drive in the second channel.

Step 1120: and under the condition that the second transfer robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning fails, acquiring a second waiting instruction, and responding to the second waiting instruction, waiting outside the first channel until the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

If the control device cannot re-plan a new path for the second transfer robot, the new path planning fails, at this time, the control device may generate a second waiting instruction and send the second waiting instruction to the second transfer robot, and when the second transfer robot receives the second waiting instruction, the control device may respond to the second waiting instruction to continue waiting outside the first channel until the first transfer robot in the first channel drives out of the first channel and then drives into the first channel.

By the method, a new path can be planned for the second transfer robot during the period that the second transfer robot waits outside the first channel, so that the second transfer robot can travel according to the new path, the waiting time of the second transfer robot can be reduced, and the working efficiency is improved.

In some embodiments, the at least one scheduling instruction may include a second scheduling instruction generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first sorting robot of the at least one sorting robots.

Wherein the first sorting robot may comprise one or more of the above-mentioned at least one sorting robot.

For example, when the robot type in the first lane is a first sorting robot, the control device may determine, according to the first operation information and the second operation information, a second transfer robot to enter the first lane where the first sorting robot is located, and a traveling direction of the second transfer robot, determine, according to the traveling direction of the first sorting robot and the traveling direction of the second transfer robot, a dispatch traveling mode of the second transfer robot, generate at least one second dispatch instruction, and send the second dispatch instruction to the second transfer robot, so as to control the second transfer robot to travel.

When the second scheduling instruction is received, the second transfer robot may analyze the second scheduling instruction, determine a driving mode indicated by the second scheduling instruction, such as whether to start driving, a driving speed, a driving route, a driving channel, and the like, and then, the second transfer robot may drive in a corresponding channel or wait in a corresponding position according to the mode indicated by the second scheduling instruction.

By the method, when the robot in the first channel into which the second transfer robot is to be driven is the first sorting robot, the second transfer robot can be dispatched, and the driving safety and the operation efficiency of the second transfer robot are ensured.

Specifically, in some embodiments, the second scheduling instruction may include a third running instruction or a third waiting instruction, where the third running instruction is generated when the running direction of the second transfer robot is the same as the running direction of the first sorting robot, and the third waiting instruction is generated when the running direction of the second transfer robot is opposite to the running direction of the first sorting robot. Thus, referring to fig. 12, the second transfer robot may further perform the following step 1210 or step 1220:

step 1210: in response to the third run instruction, the first sorting robot is followed to travel in the first lane.

When the traveling direction of the second transfer robot is the same as the traveling direction of the first sorting robot, the control device may determine that the second transfer robot is capable of traveling in the first lane following the first sorting robot, so a third operation instruction may be generated and sent to the second transfer robot so that it may travel in the first lane following the first sorting robot.

Step 1220: in response to a third wait instruction, waiting outside the first channel.

When the running direction of the second transfer robot is opposite to the running direction of the first sorting robot, the control device determines that the second transfer robot cannot run in the same channel with the first sorting robot at the same time according to the channel width, the robot size and the like, so that a third waiting instruction can be generated and sent to the second transfer robot, and the second transfer robot can wait outside the first channel in response to the third waiting instruction.

By the method, the second transfer robot can acquire the third running instruction or the third waiting instruction, and can run along with the first sorting robot in the first channel or wait outside the first channel, so that the robot in the channel can be ensured to run smoothly, and the problems of congestion, collision and the like can not occur.

Correspondingly, during the period that the second transfer robot responds to the third waiting instruction and waits outside the first channel, the control device can continuously generate a new path, and when the new path is generated, the new path can be sent to the second transfer robot so that the second transfer robot can travel according to the new path.

For the same aisle, where the robots traveling may include a plurality, to determine the order in which the robots enter the aisle, in some embodiments the first operational information may include task priorities of at least one transfer robot and the second operational information may include task priorities of at least one sorting robot. The task priority may represent how critical the robot performs the task, the higher the task priority, the more critical the task.

Thus, the second transfer robot can also acquire the first drive-in instruction and drive into the first lane in response to the first drive-in instruction.

The first entering instructions are generated according to the sequence corresponding to the second carrying robot, and the sequence corresponding to the second carrying robot is determined according to the task priority of each carrying robot in the at least one carrying robot and the task priority of each sorting robot in the at least one sorting robot.

For example, the control device may sequentially determine robots with task priorities from high to low according to task priorities of at least one transfer robot and task priorities of at least one sorting robot, and determine an order of the second transfer robots entering the first lane according to an order of the task priorities from high to low. Then, the control device may sequentially generate a first entry instruction, and the second transfer robot may enter the first lane in response to the first entry instruction when receiving the first entry instruction.

By the method, robots corresponding to all channels can be guaranteed to sequentially enter the channels according to the sequence corresponding to the task priority, and the operation efficiency of the overall robot is improved.

According to the robot scheduling method applied to the second transfer robot in the embodiment, the second transfer robot can acquire different scheduling instructions and travel according to the scheduling instructions, for example, travel into a first channel or other channels, or wait outside the first channel, so that the second transfer robot can be ensured to safely and efficiently operate in a shared channel of the transfer robot and the sorting robot.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a robot scheduling method, which can be applied to a second sorting robot, so that the method can acquire at least one scheduling instruction under the condition of determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot, and can drive in the first channel or wait outside the first channel in response to the at least one scheduling instruction.

Wherein the at least one sorting robot comprises a second sorting robot, which may be one or more of the at least one sorting robots. The at least one scheduling instruction is generated based on first operation information of the plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of the plurality of sorting robots in an operation area, the operation area including a plurality of lanes, the plurality of lanes including the first lane.

The overlapping path means that the traveling paths of the plurality of robots are located in the same lane at the same time, and if the traveling paths are in the same lane, the traveling paths of the plurality of robots are overlapping paths in the same lane, and the same lane is the first lane.

In an exemplary embodiment, the control device may determine, according to the path information in the first operation information and the path information in the second operation information, whether the traveling paths between the plurality of transfer robots and each of the plurality of sorting robots are located in the same channel at the same time, if so, the traveling paths of the robots in the same channel overlap the paths, the channel corresponding to the overlapping paths is the first channel, and the robot having the overlapping paths is the robot to be driven into the same channel.

In some embodiments, the at least one scheduling instruction may include a first scheduling instruction that is generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first one of the at least one transfer robots.

For example, when the robot in the first lane is the first transfer robot, the control device may determine a scheduling manner of the second sorting robot according to a traveling direction of the first transfer robot and a traveling direction of the second sorting robot, generate a first scheduling instruction, and send the first scheduling instruction to the second sorting robot.

When the second sorting robot receives the first scheduling instruction described above, it may travel in a plurality of lanes, such as into a first lane or other lanes, or enter a waiting state in response to the instruction.

By the method, the second sorting robot can acquire the first scheduling instruction under the condition that the robot in the first channel is the first transfer robot and runs according to the first scheduling instruction, so that running scheduling of the transfer robot and the sorting robot in the same channel can be realized.

In some embodiments, the first scheduling instruction may include a first running instruction or a first waiting instruction. Wherein the first operation instruction is generated when the traveling direction of the first sorting robot is the same as the traveling direction of the first transfer robot, and the first waiting instruction is generated when the traveling directions of the first sorting robot and the first transfer robot are opposite.

Thus, the second sorting robot may follow the first transfer robot to travel in the first lane in response to the first operation instruction; alternatively, in response to the first wait instruction, waiting outside the first channel.

That is, when the traveling direction of the second sorting robot and the traveling direction of the first transfer robot are the same, in order to improve the lane utilization and the operation efficiency of the robots, the first operation instruction may be generated and transmitted to the second sorting robot so that the second sorting robot may travel behind the first transfer robot to pass through the first lane. In this case, the respective robots may be arranged in one or more columns to sequentially pass through the first passage, so that the passage width of the first passage may be set to a smaller size without occupying an excessively large area for the entire operation area.

When the traveling direction of the second sorting robot is opposite to the traveling direction of the first transfer robot, in order to avoid collision or congestion, a first waiting instruction may be generated and sent to the second sorting robot so that the second sorting robot waits outside the first lane while the first transfer robot travels inside the first lane.

By the method, whether the second sorting robot drives into the first channel or waits outside the first channel can be determined according to whether the driving direction of the second sorting robot is the same as the driving direction of the first carrying robot, and the traffic safety of the second sorting robot and the first carrying robot can be ensured.

In some embodiments, the second sorting robot may further perform the following method:

and under the condition that the second sorting robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning is successful, acquiring a new path and driving in the second channel according to the new path.

And under the condition that the second sorting robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning fails, acquiring a second waiting instruction, and responding to the second waiting instruction, waiting outside the first channel until the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

Wherein the second channel is different from the first channel.

During the waiting period of the second sorting robot outside the first channel, the control device may reprogram a new path for the second sorting robot according to the path information of other robots outside the first channel and the operation information of the second sorting robot. When a new path can be planned again, the control device can send the new path to the second sorting robot, so that the second sorting robot can determine a second channel according to the new path and travel in the second channel.

When a new path cannot be planned again, the control device can generate a second waiting instruction and send the second waiting instruction to the second sorting robot, so that the second sorting robot can wait outside the first channel in response to the second waiting instruction until the first transfer robot drives out of the first channel and then drives into the first channel.

By the method, the waiting time of the second sorting robot outside the first channel can be reduced, and the working efficiency of the second sorting robot is improved.

In some embodiments, the at least one scheduling instruction may include a second scheduling instruction generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first sorting robot of the at least one sorting robots. Wherein the number of first sorting robots may be one or more.

For example, when the type of the robot in the first channel is the first sorting robot, the control device may determine the second sorting robot to enter the first channel where the first sorting robot is located and the driving direction of the second sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information, determine the scheduling driving mode of the second sorting robot according to the driving direction of the first sorting robot and the driving direction of the second sorting robot, generate the second scheduling instruction, and send the second scheduling instruction to the second sorting robot to control the second sorting robot to drive.

When the second scheduling instruction is received, the second sorting robot may analyze the second scheduling instruction, determine a driving mode indicated by the second scheduling instruction, such as whether to start driving, a driving speed, a driving route, a driving channel, and the like, and then the second sorting robot may drive in a corresponding channel or wait in a corresponding position according to the mode indicated by the second scheduling instruction.

By the method, when the robots in the first channel are the first sorting robots, the second sorting robots to be driven into the first channel can be scheduled, and the driving safety and the operating efficiency of the second sorting robots are ensured.

In some embodiments, the second scheduling instruction may include a second execution instruction. Wherein the second operation instruction is generated according to the traveling direction of the first sorting robot and the traveling direction of the second sorting robot. For example, when the traveling directions of the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot are the same or opposite, the control device may determine whether the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot can travel simultaneously, and the number of simultaneous travels, according to the channel size and the size of the sorting robot, thereby generating the second operation instruction, and transmit the second operation instruction to the second sorting robot.

Note that, according to the number of the second sorting robots, the robots that receive the second operation instruction may be all or part, which is not limited in this embodiment.

Thus, the second sorting robot may perform the following method:

in response to the second operation instruction, traveling in the first passage, the traveling directions of the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot are the same or opposite.

Upon receiving the second operation instruction, the second sorting robot may travel in the same direction or in a reverse direction as the first sorting robot in the first passage in response to the second operation instruction. The robot that does not receive the second operation instruction will not enter the first channel for a while.

In some embodiments, the second travel instructions may include a first travel instruction for instructing the first sorting robot to travel along a first travel lane in the first lane and a second travel instruction, the second sorting robot may travel along a second travel lane in the first lane in response to the second travel instruction. The first driving channel is a driving channel far away from the second sorting robot in the first channel, and the second driving channel is a driving channel far away from the first sorting robot in the first channel.

That is, the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot travel on one side of the first path, respectively, to ensure that they do not collide during travel.

To determine the order in which robots enter the first aisle, in some embodiments, the first operational information may include task priorities of at least one handling robot and the second operational information may include task priorities of at least one sorting robot. Based on this, the second sorting robot may perform the following method:

and acquiring a second driving-in instruction, and responding to the second driving-in instruction, driving into the first channel.

The second entering instructions are generated according to the sequence corresponding to the second sorting robots, and the sequence corresponding to the second sorting robots is determined according to the task priority of each of the at least one carrying robot and the task priority of each of the at least one sorting robot.

For example, the control device may sequentially determine robots with task priorities from high to low according to task priorities of at least one transfer robot and task priorities of at least one sorting robot, and determine an order of second sorting robots entering the first lane according to an order of task priorities from high to low. Then, the control device may sequentially generate a second entry instruction, and the second sorting robot may enter the first lane in response to the second entry instruction when receiving the second entry instruction.

According to the robot scheduling method applied to the second sorting robot in the embodiment, the second sorting robot can acquire different scheduling instructions and run according to the scheduling instructions, such as entering a first channel or other channels, or waiting outside the first channel, so that safe and efficient running of the second sorting robot in a shared channel can be ensured.

Further, the present invention also provides a robot scheduling system, and referring to fig. 13, the robot scheduling system 1300 may include a control device 1310, at least one handling robot, and/or at least one sorting robot 1320.

The robot scheduling system 1300 is a software system for managing and optimizing task scheduling of a robot, and by using the system, robot resources can be effectively allocated, tasks can be planned and the operation of the robot can be scheduled, so that the production efficiency and the resource utilization rate can be improved.

In this embodiment, the control device 1310 may take various forms and techniques, for example: the control 1310 may be a control panel that may provide a user interface and interaction. The control panel may include buttons, switches, knobs, touch screens, etc. for inputting instructions, adjusting parameters, or switching functions.

In some embodiments, control 1310 may also be control software, such as computer or embedded system-based software, which may provide a graphical interface or command line interface enabling a user to control and operate a system or device via a computer or other device.

The control device 1310 may be configured to obtain first operation information of the plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of the plurality of sorting robots in the operation area, and determine a first channel corresponding to an overlapping path of at least one transfer robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information.

Wherein the operating region includes a plurality of channels. The plurality of channels includes a first channel. The control device 1310 may generate at least one scheduling instruction for scheduling at least one handling robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information, the second operation information, and the robot type in the first lane.

The at least one handling robot and/or the at least one sorting robot 1320 may be configured to obtain at least one scheduling instruction and travel according to the at least one scheduling instruction.

The specific details of each module in the above system are already described in the method part of the embodiments, and the details of the undisclosed scheme can be referred to the embodiment of the method part, so that the details are not repeated.

Fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of an electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is not limited to the specific implementation of the electronic device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in fig. 14, the electronic device may be a server or a robot in the above embodiment. Specifically, the electronic device may include: a processor 1402, a communication interface (Communications Interface) 1404, a memory 1406, and a communication bus 1408.

Wherein: processor 1402, communication interface 1404, and memory 1406 communicate with each other via a communication bus 1408. A communication interface 1404 for communicating with network elements of other devices, such as clients or other servers. The processor 1402 is configured to execute the program 1410, and may specifically perform the relevant steps in the embodiment of the robot scheduling method described above.

In particular, program 1410 may include program code comprising computer-executable instructions.

The processor 1402 may be a central processing unit CPU, or a specific integrated circuit ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement embodiments of the present invention. The one or more processors included in the electronic device may be the same type of processor, such as one or more CPUs; but may also be different types of processors such as one or more CPUs and one or more ASICs.

Memory 1406 for storing a program 1410. Memory 1406 may comprise high-speed RAM memory or may also comprise non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk memory.

The program 1410 may be specifically invoked by the processor 1402 to cause the electronic device to perform steps in the scheduling method of the robot described above.

The embodiment of the invention also provides a computer readable storage medium, which stores at least one executable instruction, and when the executable instruction runs on the scheduling system of the electronic equipment/robot, the scheduling system of the electronic equipment/robot executes the robot scheduling method in any method embodiment.

The executable instructions may be used in particular to cause a scheduling system of an electronic device/robot to perform steps in the scheduling method of the robot described above.

The algorithms or displays presented herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system, or other apparatus. In addition, embodiments of the present invention are not directed to any particular programming language.

In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. It will be appreciated, however, that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without such specific details. Similarly, in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of embodiments of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. Wherein the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into this detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this invention.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the apparatus of the embodiments may be adaptively changed and disposed in one or more apparatuses different from the embodiments. The modules or units or components of the embodiments may be combined into one module or unit or component and, furthermore, they may be divided into a plurality of sub-modules or sub-units or sub-components. Except that at least some of such features and/or processes or elements are mutually exclusive.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the unit claims enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, third, etc. do not denote any order. These words may be interpreted as names. The steps in the above embodiments should not be construed as limiting the order of execution unless specifically stated.

Claims

1. A method of robotic scheduling, the method comprising:

acquiring first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area; wherein the operating region comprises a plurality of channels;

Determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapping path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information; the plurality of channels includes the first channel;

generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the robot type in the first channel; the at least one scheduling instruction is for scheduling the at least one handling robot and/or the at least one sorting robot.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information, and the robot type in the first channel comprises:

determining a running direction of a first robot to be dispatched and a running direction of the first transfer robot according to the first running information and the second running information under the condition that the robot type in the first channel is the first transfer robot in the at least one transfer robot; wherein the first robot to be dispatched comprises a second transfer robot and/or the at least one sorting robot, the second transfer robot comprising a robot of the at least one transfer robot other than the first transfer robot;

Generating a first scheduling instruction according to the running direction of the first robot to be scheduled and the running direction of the first transfer robot, wherein the first scheduling instruction is used for indicating to schedule the first robot to be scheduled, and the at least one scheduling instruction comprises the first scheduling instruction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the generating a first scheduling instruction according to the traveling direction of the first robot to be scheduled and the traveling direction of the first transfer robot comprises:

generating a first operation instruction under the condition that the running direction of the first robot to be dispatched is the same as the running direction of the first transfer robot, wherein the first operation instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be dispatched to follow the first transfer robot to run in the first channel, and the first dispatching instruction comprises the first operation instruction;

and under the condition that the running directions of the first robot to be scheduled and the first transfer robot are opposite, generating a first waiting instruction, wherein the first waiting instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be scheduled to wait outside the first channel, and the first scheduling instruction comprises the first waiting instruction.

4. A method according to claim 3, characterized in that the method further comprises:

re-planning a new path for the first robot to be scheduled under the condition that the first robot to be scheduled waits outside the first channel;

under the condition that the new path planning is successful, the new path is sent to the first robot to be scheduled, so that the first robot to be scheduled runs on a second channel according to the new path; wherein the second channel is different from the first channel;

and under the condition that the new path planning fails, generating a second waiting instruction, wherein the second waiting instruction is used for indicating the first robot to be scheduled to wait outside the first channel until the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

locking the lane direction of the first lane to the traveling direction of the first transfer robot when the first transfer robot travels in the first lane; and

and when the first transfer robot exits the first channel, switching the channel direction of the first channel to an unlocking state.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-5, wherein the first aisle has an aisle dimension that allows one transfer robot to travel through while transferring cargo.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information, and the robot type in the first channel comprises:

determining a driving direction of a second robot to be scheduled and a driving direction of the first sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information under the condition that the robot type in the first channel is a first sorting robot in the at least one sorting robot; wherein the second robot to be dispatched comprises a second sorting robot and/or the at least one handling robot, the second sorting robot comprising a robot of the at least one sorting robot other than the first sorting robot;

generating a second scheduling instruction according to the running direction of the second robot to be scheduled and the running direction of the first sorting robot, wherein the second scheduling instruction is used for indicating to schedule the second robot to be scheduled, and the at least one scheduling instruction comprises the second scheduling instruction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating a second scheduling instruction according to the traveling direction of the second robot to be scheduled and the traveling direction of the first sorting robot comprises:

generating a second running instruction according to the running direction of the second sorting robot and the running direction of the first sorting robot;

the second operation instruction is used for indicating the second sorting robot and the first sorting robot to travel in the first channel, the second scheduling instruction comprises the second operation instruction, and the traveling directions of the second sorting robot and the first sorting robot are the same or opposite.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating a second operation instruction according to the traveling direction of the second sorting robot and the traveling direction of the first sorting robot comprises:

generating a first travel instruction and a second travel instruction in a case that the travel direction of the second sorting robot is opposite to the travel direction of the first sorting robot; the first travel instruction is used for indicating the first sorting robot to travel along a first travel path in the first channel, and the second travel instruction is used for indicating the second sorting robot to travel along a second travel path in the first channel;

The first driving channel is a driving channel far away from the second sorting robot in the first channel, the second driving channel is a driving channel far away from the first sorting robot in the first channel, and the second driving instruction comprises the first driving instruction and the second driving instruction.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating a second scheduling instruction according to the traveling direction of the second robot to be scheduled and the traveling direction of the first sorting robot comprises:

generating a third operation instruction under the condition that the driving direction of the carrying robot in the second robot to be dispatched is the same as the driving direction of the first sorting robot, wherein the third operation instruction is used for indicating the carrying robot to drive along the first sorting robot in the first channel;

generating a third waiting instruction under the condition that the running direction of the transfer robot in the second robot to be dispatched is opposite to the running direction of the first sorting robot, wherein the third waiting instruction is used for indicating the transfer robot to wait outside the first channel; the second scheduling instruction includes the third running instruction and/or the third waiting instruction.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

re-planning a new path for the transfer robot if the transfer robot waits outside the first aisle;

when the new path planning is successful, the new path is sent to the transfer robot, so that the transfer robot runs in a third channel according to the new path; wherein the third channel is different from the first channel;

and under the condition that the new path planning fails, generating a fourth waiting instruction, wherein the fourth waiting instruction is used for indicating the transfer robot to wait outside the first channel until the first sorting robot exits the first channel.

12. The method according to any one of claims 7-11, wherein the first aisle has a aisle dimension that allows at least two sorting robots to travel side-by-side.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operational information includes a task priority of the at least one handling robot and the second operational information includes a task priority of the at least one sorting robot, the method further comprising:

Determining the sequence of each transfer robot in the at least one transfer robot entering the first channel and the sequence of each sorting robot in the at least one sorting robot entering the first channel according to the task priority of the at least one transfer robot and the task priority of the at least one sorting robot;

and generating an entering instruction according to the sequence of entering the transfer robots into the first channel and the sequence of entering the sorting robots into the first channel, wherein the entering instruction is used for instructing the transfer robots and the sorting robots to enter the first channel according to the corresponding sequence.

14. A robot scheduling method, applied to a second transfer robot, the method comprising:

acquiring at least one scheduling instruction under the condition of determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot; wherein the at least one transfer robot comprises the second transfer robot; the at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area, wherein the operation area comprises a plurality of channels, and the plurality of channels comprise the first channel;

And responding to the at least one scheduling instruction, driving on the first channel or waiting outside the first channel.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one scheduling instruction comprises a first scheduling instruction that is generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first transfer robot of the at least one transfer robot.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first scheduling instruction includes a first execution instruction or a first waiting instruction, the first execution instruction being generated in a case where the traveling direction of the first transfer robot and the traveling direction of the second transfer robot are the same, the first waiting instruction being generated in a case where the traveling directions of the first transfer robot and the second transfer robot are opposite; the responding to the at least one scheduling instruction, driving on the first channel or waiting outside the first channel, comprising:

responding to the first operation instruction, and driving the first transfer robot in the first channel; or,

and responding to the first waiting instruction and waiting outside the first channel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises:

when the second transfer robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning is successful, acquiring the new path and driving in the second channel according to the new path; wherein the second channel is different from the first channel; or,

and under the condition that the second transfer robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning fails, acquiring a second waiting instruction, and responding to the second waiting instruction, waiting outside the first channel until the first transfer robot exits the first channel.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one scheduling instruction comprises a second scheduling instruction generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first sorting robot of the at least one sorting robot.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second scheduling instruction includes a third run instruction or a third wait instruction, the third run instruction being generated if the direction of travel of the second transfer robot and the direction of travel of the first sorting robot are the same, the third wait instruction being generated if the direction of travel of the second transfer robot and the direction of travel of the first sorting robot are opposite, the travelling on or off the first lane in response to the at least one scheduling instruction, comprising:

Responding to the third operation instruction, and driving the first sorting robot on the first channel; or,

and responding to the third waiting instruction, and waiting outside the first channel.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the first operational information includes a task priority of the at least one handling robot and the second operational information includes a task priority of the at least one sorting robot, the method further comprising:

acquiring a first driving-in instruction; the first entering instructions are generated according to the sequence corresponding to the second carrying robot, and the sequence corresponding to the second carrying robot is determined according to the task priority of each carrying robot in the at least one carrying robot and the task priority of each sorting robot in the at least one sorting robot;

and responding to the first entering instruction, and entering the first channel.

21. A robot scheduling method, applied to a second sorting robot, the method comprising:

acquiring at least one scheduling instruction under the condition of determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapped path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot; wherein the at least one sorting robot comprises the second sorting robot; the at least one scheduling instruction is generated according to first operation information of a plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of a plurality of sorting robots in an operation area, wherein the operation area comprises a plurality of channels, and the plurality of channels comprise the first channel;

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one scheduling instruction comprises a first scheduling instruction that is generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first transfer robot of the at least one transfer robot.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the first scheduling instruction includes a first run instruction or a first wait instruction, the first run instruction being generated if the direction of travel of the second sorting robot and the direction of travel of the first transfer robot are the same, the first wait instruction being generated if the directions of travel of the second sorting robot and the first transfer robot are opposite; the responding to the at least one scheduling instruction, driving on the first channel or waiting outside the first channel, comprising:

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

when the second sorting robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning is successful, acquiring the new path and driving in the second channel according to the new path; wherein the second channel is different from the first channel; or,

and under the condition that the second sorting robot waits outside the first channel and the new path planning fails, acquiring a second waiting instruction, and responding to the second waiting instruction, waiting outside the first channel until the first carrying robot exits the first channel.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one scheduling instruction comprises a second scheduling instruction generated if the robot type in the first lane is a first sorting robot of the at least one sorting robot.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the second scheduling instructions include second run instructions generated based on the direction of travel of the first sorting robot and the direction of travel of the second sorting robot, the waiting on or off the first lane in response to the at least one scheduling instruction comprising:

And responding to the second running instruction, running in the first channel, wherein the running directions of the first sorting robot and the second sorting robot are the same or opposite.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the second travel instructions include a first travel instruction and a second travel instruction, the first travel instruction to instruct the first sorting robot to travel along a first one of the first lanes, the traveling in the first lane in response to the second travel instruction comprising:

in response to the second travel instruction, traveling along a second travel path in the first path;

the first driving channel is a driving channel far away from the second sorting robot in the first channel, and the second driving channel is a driving channel far away from the first sorting robot in the first channel.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the first operational information includes a task priority of the at least one handling robot and the second operational information includes a task priority of the at least one sorting robot, the method further comprising:

acquiring a second driving-in instruction; the second entering instructions are generated according to the sequence corresponding to the second sorting robots, and the sequence corresponding to the second sorting robots is determined according to the task priority of each of the at least one transfer robot and the task priority of each of the at least one sorting robot;

And responding to the second entering instruction, and entering the first channel.

29. A robotic scheduling system, the system comprising:

a control device configured to acquire first operation information of the plurality of transfer robots and second operation information of the plurality of sorting robots in the operation area; determining a first channel corresponding to an overlapping path of at least one carrying robot and/or at least one sorting robot according to the first operation information and the second operation information; wherein the operating region comprises a plurality of channels; the plurality of channels includes the first channel; generating at least one scheduling instruction according to the first operation information, the second operation information and the robot type in the first channel, wherein the at least one scheduling instruction is used for scheduling the at least one transfer robot and/or the at least one sorting robot;

at least one handling robot and/or at least one sorting robot configured to acquire the at least one scheduling instruction and to travel in accordance with the at least one scheduling instruction.

30. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor; and

A memory for storing executable instructions of the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to perform the operations of the robot scheduling method of any of claims 1-28 via execution of the executable instructions.

31. A computer readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, characterized in that the computer program, when being executed by a processor, implements the steps of the robot scheduling method of any one of claims 1-28.