Ocado Innovation Limited

Christopher Cacioppo

Jerome Dubois

Michael E Caine

Corey Simons

Rylan Hamilton

Timothy Higgins

Alexander Thieme

Matthew Fitzgerald

Paul Lyon

Tucker Moffat

Ellen Hawkes

Tim Higgins

Systems, apparatus, and methods to facilitate docking of robotic vehicles with platforms are disclosed. An example apparatus includes memory; machine readable instructions; and processor circuitry to execute the machine readable instructions to identify a property associated with a platform; determine a confidence associated with docking the platform and an autonomous vehicle based on the property associated with the platform; identify a positioning maneuver to be performed by the autonomous vehicle relative to the platform based on the confidence and the property of the platform; and output an instruction to cause the autonomous vehicle to perform the positioning maneuver.

Systems, apparatus, and methods to facilitate docking of robotic vehicles with platforms

Methods and apparatus for making autonomous vehicle handover decisions are described. A handover decision involves deciding if an autonomous vehicle should be handed off from one worker to another worker. The methods allow for decisions to be made in real or near real time shortly before an autonomous vehicle changes location. Worker time, if a handover is not implemented, is considered including the amount of worker time involved with the worker moving with the autonomous vehicle to the new location as compared to a new worker meeting the autonomous vehicle at the new location or on the way to the new location. Handover decisions can consider worker distribution and/or order priority. Such factors can be used to weight one or more time based cost values with a cost value representation of the cost if a handover is not implemented vs implementing a handover being compared to make the handover decision.

Methods and apparatus for controlling autonomous vehicles

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for dynamically repositioning inventory items in a space. The exemplary systems may be configured to receive a signal indicating a change in demand for a product, in which a plurality of items of the product are positioned at a first location within the space. The systems may be configured to determine a second location within the space for positioning at least some items such that a collection time is reduced. The systems may be further configured to generate a route for an autonomous vehicle that includes the first and second locations, as well as a third location where an item for an order is positioned. The systems may then trigger navigation of the autonomous vehicle, based on the route, to reposition the items from the first location to the second location and to collect the item for the order.

Systems and methods for dynamic repositioning of inventory

A warehouse automation system adapted to improve warehouse operating productivity includes a plurality of carts for transporting products within a warehouse and a controller. The controller is adapted to associate a first one of the plurality of carts with a first person and to control the first cart to lead the first person around the warehouse. According to one advantage, the time the first person spends restocking, picking, counting, sorting, moving, and packing product into customer orders and shipments, for example, is reduced.

Warehouse automation systems and methods

Autonomous vehicles including ladders and related methods are disclosed. An example system includes an autonomous vehicle including an integrated ladder and a processor to detect a state of the ladder as being in one of a stowed state, a deployed state, or a use state; in response to detecting that the ladder is in the stowed state, cause the autonomous vehicle to operate in a first drive mode and a second drive mode; in response to detecting that the ladder is in the deployed state, cause the autonomous vehicle to operate in the second drive mode and to restrict from operating in the first drive mode; and in response to detecting that the ladder is in the use state, cause the autonomous vehicle to refrain from operating in the first drive mode and the second drive mode.

Growing community of inventors

Somerville, MA, United States of America

Christopher Cacioppo