-
The present invention concerns a perfected Automated Mobile Robot (AMR) sorting system.
-
It is known that several players in the field of e-commerce, shipping or third-party logistics have automated the sorting of products in their facilities.
-
Some well-known sorting systems make use of mobile autonomous sorting robots. Among these, a well-known system uses two types of robots: a so-called "collaborative" one that is set up to move in shared areas of the plant, i.e. where people also work, and a so-called "non-collaborative" one, intended for confined areas where there are no human workers.
-
In the shared areas, there are only collaborative robots equipped with special safety devices that allow them to recognize the presence of people in the immediate vicinity, along their path and are also bound to travel below a maximum speed threshold that allows them to stop safely at any time.
-
In confined areas there are both picking points and unloading points, or "destinations", connected to the outside and have been designed to allow maximum sorting productivity. In fact, non-cooperative robots working in the confined areas of the plant are designed to maximize performance and are therefore not subject to the safety constraints imposed on collaborative robots.
-
This type of system is inherently safe but does not fully meet the needs of the market and has the disadvantage of being inflexible.
-
In fact, nowadays, many companies in the sector need to have a high number of destinations to take sorted items.
-
The destinations are located at the perimeter of the confined zones, so that they are accessible from the inside to non-cooperative robots and from the outside by human operators. Therefore, in order to allow operators to reach the destinations easily, for the purpose of their periodic emptying, the perimeter of the confined area must be expanded proportionally to the number of destinations and consequently the area of the confined areas extends in geometric proportion with the number of destinations, with a consequent increase in costs and difficulty in adapting existing plants.
-
The technical task behind the present invention is therefore to propose an implant and a method capable of overcoming the drawbacks of the technique known above. The technical task is accomplished by the method and the system implemented in accordance with the attached claims.
-
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be made clearer by the indicative, and therefore not limiting, description of a preferred but not exclusive form of realization of a sorting system, as illustrated in the attached drawings, in which:
- Figure 1 is a stylized representation of the invention's layout; and
- Figure 2 is a diagram of the plant's processing media.
-
With reference to the figures cited, a sorting system according to the invention has been indicated by 1.
-
The proposed plant 1 can be placed in a building structure, which for example can consist of or include a warehouse or it can be another type of room or building, etc.
-
Plant 1 shall include at least one restricted zone 3, which shall preferably be a "non-cooperative" zone, in the sense specified above; plant 1 also preferably includes at least one "collaborative" zone 4. The two zones 3 and 4 mentioned are connected or can be connected via accesses and outputs.
-
The restricted zone 3 shall preferably be of the type where human personnel are not allowed access during normal work activities and shall be intended for a high-productivity operating regime. In practice, only robots can access this area.
-
In detail, the restricted zone 3 can be physically confined, i.e. be surrounded by a fence or other barrier or it can be defined through virtual or conventional confinement, for example through geo-fences or the like.
-
In restricted zone 3, there are loading and unloading points for items that need to be sorted. These loading and unloading points can be of the "active" type and therefore provide for the use of motorized conveyors or be of the "passive" type, i.e. provide for the use of slides, passive roller conveyors, support shelves, or other similar units.
-
Between the loading and unloading points, the 2 robots of the proposed system are moved, which are preferably 2 autonomous mobile sorting robots.
-
According to a preferential aspect of the invention, the robots 2 of the invention are suitable to work in both "collaborative" and "non-collaborative" modes.
-
In practice, the robots 2 of the invention are equipped with the safety systems with which the collaborative robots 2 of the known art are equipped but are designed to keep these systems active when they are in collaborative zone 4 and to deactivate (in whole or in part) these systems when they are in the non-collaborative zone 3.
-
More specifically, robots 2 are equipped with at least one safety device 22 to detect the presence of an obstacle or a person in their path 10 which remains active when robot 2 is in collaborative zone 4. This device may include a laser scanner 22 (shown in Figure 2). In the collaborative zone, robot 2 is set up to move at a speed below or equal to a safe threshold, which allows robot 2 itself to be able to stop immediately on the spot, in case it detects the presence of an obstacle or a person.
-
For example, the safety threshold can be 1.2 m/s or be a value in the surroundings. The traction apparatus 20 is represented in figure 2. In particular, robot 2 can include at least one safety encoder for effective control of the travel speed.
-
In addition, robot 2 is equipped with at least one conveyor 21 (shown schematically in figure 2), which can be e.g. a motorized conveyor belt 21 and is suitable for supporting and loading/unloading an item. Robot 2 is designed to switch off its conveyor 21 when it is in collaborative zone 4, especially to prevent the accidental release of a heavy item from injuring a person working in collaborative zone 4. Advantageously, when the robots 2 of the invention are in the restricted zone 3, they can inactive the mentioned speed limit and thus move in that zone with a speed higher than the first safety threshold and can also activate the conveyor 21, preparing themselves to operate a high-performance sortation.
-
In practice, robots 2 of the proposed plant 1 can switch their operating mode depending on their position in plant 1 and in particular according to the area in which they are located. For example, they can switch from a safety mode, which is a collaborative mode, with which they can work in the same area of plant 1 where there are people and moving elements that can constitute obstacles, to a productivity mode, or non-collaborative, with which they can work with high productivity in an area closed to people, this system overcomes the limits of cost and flexibility of known art.
-
In this way, it is possible to equip plant 1 with a single type of robot, to the advantage of the flexibility of use of plant 1, with considerable cost savings.
-
According to an important aspect of the invention, plant 1 includes at least one sorting aisle 5, which is preferably included within collaborative zone 4. Sorting aisle 5 is prepared for the passage in single file of the robots and is equipped with one or more receiving units suitable for receiving items released by the robots 2. In practice, in the sorting aisle 5 there are unloading points that can be like those in the restricted zone 3 and, as already explained above, the receiving units located in these points can be both active and passive and be for example roller conveyors or chutes or other.
-
Sorting aisle 5 of the invention is designed in such a way as to allow an increase in the sorting capacity of plant 1, i.e. to increase the total number of destination points, without this leading to a geometrically proportional increase in the size of plant 1 itself. Preferably, aisle 5 is not a confined area or in any case it is not completely and it is not a collaborative zone proper, but an area where the entry of personnel is not provided, even if it is not necessarily prevented and could only be allowed under predefined conditions; we will return to this aspect in a later paragraph. However, the case in which the corridor defines a restricted zone 3, even segregated or on the contrary a collaborative zone 4, is not excluded from the scope of the proposed inventive concept.
-
In general, it is also possible to conceive a plant 1 such as the one proposed that is equipped with one or more sorting aisle 5 also arranged in the plant in a different way from the one indicated above and shown in the attached figures.
-
Sorting aisle 5 is preferably dimensioned so that robots 2 can only pass through it in single file, i.e. so that it is not possible for two robots 2 to go side by side while walking along it.
-
Preferably, the reception units are located only on the sides of aisle 5. The sides of aisle 5 can only be defined by the succession of unloading points, i.e. the receiving units, or be constrained by barriers. In the second case, the sides can be defined by virtual or even physical barriers or, for example, from walls or fences or lattice structures.
-
Preferably, the sorting aisle 5 is defined laterally by two sequences or rows of unloading points or by receiving units, which rows can be parallel or in any case facing each other. In this case, the corridor consists of two successions of reception units placed one in front of the other, preferably parallel and at a constant distance from each other.
-
Preferentially but not exclusively, sorting aisle 5 is also without picking points and is therefore prepared for the delivery of transported items only. It is therefore possible that sorting aisle 5 is defined laterally to the unloading units only. Sorting aisle 5 can be straight for all or most of its length.
-
In addition, corridor 5 is preferably sized in such a way that between a robot 2 passing through corridor 5 and a reception unit, when they are side by side, there cannot be human personnel, i.e. there is not enough space between them for a person to be interposed between one and the other. In other words, the dimensions of aisle 5 compared to those of robots 2 and reception units are such that a robot 2 that travels through it when it is next to a reception unit is adjacent to it, so as not to allow the interposition of a person.
-
In practice, the width of aisle 5 is chosen in such a way as to avoid staff finding themselves between robot 2 and the receiving units, when the former is next to the latter during the delivery of the item. In the case of corridor 5 defined laterally by physical barriers facing each other, the width of the corridor could be such as to prevent human personnel from passing between the robots 2 that travel in single file and the sides of it.
-
In other words, the aisle can be sized so that the flanks of a robot 2 that runs through it pass in close proximity to the receiving units. The distance between these flanks and the receiving units, in this case, is insufficient for a person to be between robot 2 and a receiving unit.
-
Robots 2 can all be the same or have the same transverse dimensions, so that the distance between the receiving units (or at least between the sides of the aisle) is chosen according to these transverse dimensions and is preferably constant along aisle 5.
-
It is preferably possible to identify a central band inside corridor 5 that is crossed by robots 2 and has transverse dimensions corresponding to those of robots 2 themselves. The discharge points are located immediately next to the lateral boundaries of this central strip. In other words, the receiving units are placed in a position adjacent to the lateral boundaries of the central band.
-
The reason for these dimensional measures lies in the fact that, preferably, the conveyor device 21 with which robots are equipped 2 of plant 1 is suitable for unloading items transported on one side of robot 2 itself, in a direction transverse to its direction of travel. For example, a conveyor type 21 can be a conveyor belt 21 arranged on robot 2 so that it receives and unloads items in a direction perpendicular to that in which robot 2 advances when moving in a straight line. In practice, in this case, robots 2 mount a transverse conveyor belt 21.
-
To be precise, the aisle and robots 2 can be configured so that the latter cross the former passing with the ends of the conveyor belt 21 in close proximity to the receiving units, thus preventing the possibility of human personnel being interposed between the belt and the receiving unit.
-
Therefore, robots 2 move in a row along aisle 5 where they find the destination points on the sides and, when they are in front of the destination point of the transported item, they stop and operate conveyor 21 so that it releases the item into the receiving unit of that destination point.
-
The aisle 5 is sized to prevent staff from getting between robot 2 and the receiving unit. If the human presence is between robot 2 and the receiving unit, it also prevents the unloaded item from bumping into a person, thus preventing possible injuries that could occur especially if the item in question is heavy.
-
As mentioned, according to a possible form of realization of the invention, the corridor is not closed, i.e. it is free of physical barriers that prevent the entry of personnel and could also be free of virtual barriers such as the so-called "geo-fences".
-
Also, for this reason, preferably robots 2 that pass through sorting aisle 5 have laser scanner 22 (or other safety device) active, as in collaborative zone 4, although they also have conveyor 21 active, as opposed to what happens in the collaborative zone.
-
Therefore, robots 2 of the proposed system can switch from a safety mode, or collaborative, with which they can work in the same area 4 of plant 1 where there are people and moving elements that may constitute obstacles, to a productivity mode, or non-cooperative, with which they can work with high productivity in a zone forbidden to people and can also switch their operating mode to a Vigilant delivery, in which robots 2 can work with medium or high productivity, in a zone 5 where there is no presence of people but it is not necessarily forbidden either, i.e. sorting aisle 5.
-
In practice, robots 2 can assume a vigilant delivery operating mode, in which safety device 22 is active and conveyor 21 is also active, while traction equipment 20 may not be subject to the same speed threshold as above.
-
For example, traction apparatus 20 could also be subject to a second safety threshold that is higher than the first, i.e. the one provided for the collaborative area. More generally, preferably, within the sorting aisle 5, the traction apparatus 20 moves the robot 2 with a speed below a safety threshold equal to or greater than that of the collaborative zone 4. This second threshold can be a function of the range of the laser scanner 22 or other safety device.
-
In more general terms, robots 2 are equipped with several operating means to perform their respective operational functions, including the safety device, the conveyor 21 and the traction apparatus. The 2 robots are then configured to assume different operating modes, in each of which these operating means are managed differently from the other mode or modes. Preferably, at least in sorting corridor 5 and possibly also in the rest of plant 1, there is a path 10, such as the example schematically represented in figure 1, defined by a succession of identifying elements of path 11, 12, 13.
-
In plant 1 pictured, a closed loop route 10 is included that runs through restricted zone 3 and collaborative zone 4, also passing through sorting corridor 5.
-
The path identification elements can be placed in correspondence with the pavement and include visible signs, such as graphic representations, such as two-dimensional barcodes with matrix 11, 12, 13 or "data matrix", such as those represented in figure 2. The identification elements of route 11, 12, 13 may encode or otherwise include information on the zone of plant 1, in particular identify the sorting corridor 5, the collaborative zone 4 and the restricted zone 3 and also a progressive number or other index that allows to establish the relative position of robot 2 on route 10. In the example shown in the figures, the identifiers of restricted zone 3 are indicated by '11' while those of collaborative zone 4 are indicated by '12'. The identification elements of sorting hall 5 are indicated by '13'.
-
To detect path identifiers 11, 12, 13, robots 2 can be equipped with an optical acquisition device such as, for example, a camera, which can be placed on the bottom of robot 2 and facing the floor.
-
In the following, the invention will be described in the form of a method of managing one or more robots 2, in particular intended to manage the robots 2 of plant 1 described above.
-
The proposed method includes the following steps:
- make available a plurality of 2 sorting robots;
- make the robots 2 proceed in single file along an area of a sorting plant 1;
- make available in that area a plurality of sorting units to which robots 2 can deliver items they carry and to those destined for them, as they pass in single file in that zone.
-
Preferably, these receiving units are arranged in two rows between which robots 2 pass so as to unload the transported items to the receiving units to the right or left of the direction of advance, i.e. to the right or left of the direction of advance. In addition, the rows can be placed at a distance such as to prevent the possibility that a person may be found between a robot 2 and a receiving unit side by side. Preferably, 2 robots pass adjacent to or in close proximity to the receiving units, thus preventing the possibility of people being between the first and the second. The operation of the invention can be summarized as follows: robots 2 can circulate in plant 1 and pass through collaborative zone 4 where, in which laser scanner 22 is active, conveyor 21 is inactive and the traction apparatus is operated with a speed limit, established in accordance with a first predetermined threshold; then, the same robots 2 can enter the restricted zone 3, where they will work with a traction apparatus that is not constrained by the speed threshold, the conveyor 21 is active and the laser scanner 22 deactivated; From restricted zone 3, robots 2 can pass into sorting aisle 5 and here can deliver items to further destinations, having conveyor 21 active, always proceeding at a speed limited by the second safety threshold, which is preferably equal to or greater than that of collaborative zone 4 and with laser scanner 22 active.
-
In the preferential form of the invention, plant 1 also provides for the presence of electronic processing means 6, described below.
-
In general, in this description, the processing media 6 are presented as divided into distinct functional modules for the sole purpose of describing their functionalities clearly and completely.
-
In practice, these means 6 may consist of a single electronic device, suitably programmed to perform the functions described and the different modules may correspond to hardware entities and/or software routines that are part of the programmed device.
-
Alternatively, these functions can be carried out by a plurality of electronic devices on which the afore-mentioned functional modules can be deployed.
-
In general, the processing media 6 can make use of one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers for the execution of the instructions contained in the memory modules and the aforementioned functional modules can also be distributed on a plurality of computers locally or remotely depending on the architecture of the network in which they reside.
-
Preferably, processing media 6 comprise a local processing unit contained in each robot 2 and a central processing unit connected to each local unit via usual transceiver systems. Even more preferably, the local processing unit includes an electronic control device, which can be for example a PC or in any case include a microprocessor and an electronic safety device, which for example can be or include a PLC or a programmable logic controller. We will return to these aspects in more detail later.
-
In order to be able to switch operating modes, robots 2 must be able to recognize the area in which they are located. To this end, as mentioned, they can each be equipped with the aforementioned acquisition device capable of detecting the identifying elements of route 11, 12, 13.
-
Advantageously, processing media 6 can include an identification module 61 configured to identify which identifier has been detected by the acquisition device. The processing media 6 comprise a selection module 62 configured to switch the operating mode of a robot 2, depending on the area of plant 1 in which robot 2 is located. This selection module 62 can therefore be configured more specifically to switch the operating mode according to the identification element identified by the identification module.
-
As mentioned, each robot 2 includes a traction apparatus 20 which includes a traction motor that can be subjected to its own advance module 63 of the processing media 6.
-
There may also be a conveyor module 64, to operate the motorized belt (or similar device) of the conveyor 21. In addition, a scanning module 65 can be configured to control the laser scanner 22 or other safety device to detect people or obstacles.
-
Feed Module 63, Conveyor Module 64, and Scanning Module 65 activate, deactivate, or restrict their respective devices or apparatus 20, 21, 22 based on the current operating mode of the respective robot 2.
-
In particular, the feed module 63 is designed to operate the traction unit 20 in order to apply or disapply a speed threshold. To be precise, the feed module 63 can be configured to disapply the first speed threshold applied in restricted zone 3, when robot 2 enters sorting aisle 5 and to apply a different threshold which, as mentioned above, can be equal to or greater than that applied in restricted zone 3.
-
Note that if the processing media 6 includes the aforementioned central unit, then it can be configured to determine how the robots 2 move, i.e. how and when the local unit must operate the conveyor 21 and the traction apparatus 20 in order to carry out the assigned jobs. In practice, the central unit produces the work missions of the robots 2, which define the times and methods of handling the traction apparatus 20 and the conveyor 21 and can also collect information on the status of the robots 2 for statistical or diagnostic purposes.
-
The local unit can be configured either to manage the work activities of the respective robot 2 and thus directly operate the conveyor 21 and the traction apparatus 20, as well as the optical sensor of the aforementioned camera (or similar acquisition devices) or to manage the safety activities of its robot 2 and thus operate the laser scanner 22, and possibly apply emergency protocols, such as emergency braking, obviously implemented by means of the traction apparatus 20.
-
In one version of the invention, in the central processing unit, which can be part of plant 1 or be located elsewhere, there is a mission module configured for the generation of mission signals capable of determining the movements of robots 2, on the operation of the respective local units.
-
Finally, the invention is also configured as a computer program which, running on processing media 6, is designed to implement the phases of the proposed method.