Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Vinodhkumar Somavar Muniappan

Ganesh Krishnamoorthy

Michael Alan Bray

Gurjinder Singh Dhami

Divya Natarajan

Sudhakar Teegavarapu

Zechariah Ives

Systems and methods are disclosed for a shuttle sortation system having linear actuators for unloading items from shuttles and deposing the items into totes. For example, an item shuttle may transport items in an item holder which may contain an item and that is removable from a base of the item shuttle. The item holder may be constrained from moving with respect to the base and a depositing area may unlock the item holder from the base, permitting the item holder to separate from the base. An upper linear actuator may engage the item holder and may move the item over a tote receiving the area having a tote. The item holder may not have a bottom portion, such that once the item holder is separated from the based, the item is free to fall through to the tote below.

Systems and methods for unloading shuttles and loading totes using linear actuators

Systems and methods are disclosed for wheel wear monitoring systems for shuttles powered by linear synchronous motors. An example system may include a first rail segment that forms a first side of the track, the first rail segment having a first aperture, a second rail segment that forms a second side of the track, the second rail segment having a second aperture, and a first camera disposed adjacent to the first aperture. The system may include a second camera disposed adjacent to the second aperture, and a controller configured to determine a first set of images of a first wheel of the shuttle using the first camera, determine a second set of images of a second wheel of the shuttle using the second camera, and determine a wear status of the first wheel based at least in part on the first set of images.

Wheel wear monitoring systems for shuttles powered by linear synchronous motors

Systems and methods are disclosed for a shuttle track system having a calibration shuttle for determining portions of the track having non-conforming geometry for optimum use of the shuttle track system. For example, the shuttle track system may include a track having an electromagnetic propulsion system (e.g., linear synchronous motor) embedded between two sides of the track. The calibration shuttle may move to various locations on the track and may use imaging systems for generating image data of a portion of the track. A trained model may process the image data to determine edges and surfaces of the components of the track and may determine distances between reference points on the track. The distances may be compared to threshold values to determine if they are in conformity with desired track geometry.

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Vinodhkumar Somavar Muniappan