Mobile robot group for moving an item

摘要

Techniques for improving the efficiency and flexibility of inventory systems are described. In an example, multiple robots may be operated to move an item. The robots may be allocated to a mobile robot group configured to move the item according to an arrangement of these robots. Tasks for incrementally moving the item and dependencies between the tasks may be generated. Instructions about a first task may be sent to one of the robots. Progress about performing the first task may be received back from the robot. Based on the progress and a dependency from the first task, instructions about a second dependent task may be sent to a second robot. When performed by the respective robots, the first task and the second task may cause an incremental movement of the item by the mobile robot group.

主权项

1. An inventory system, comprising:
a plurality of mobile robots located within a storage facility and individually configured to move items within the storage facility; one or more data networks; one or more processors; and one or more memories storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, cause the inventory system to at least:
allocate, to a mobile robot group and based at least in part on an inventory-related action to move an item within the storage facility, mobile robots from the plurality of mobile robots, the mobile robot group configured to move the item from a first location to a second location of the storage facility based at least in part on an arrangement of the mobile robots within the mobile robot group;reserve, to the mobile robot group, a path within the storage facility for moving the item from the first location to the second location;generate tasks for incremental movement of the item by the mobile robot group along the path, each task associated with a mobile robot of the mobile robot group;generate, based at least in part on the arrangement of the mobile robots within the mobile robot group, dependencies between the tasks;send, to a first mobile robot of the mobile robot group over the one or more data networks, first instructions to incrementally move the item by the first mobile robot based at least in part on the arrangement of the mobile robots within the mobile robot group, the first instructions corresponding to a first task from the tasks;receive, from the first mobile robot over the one or more data networks, first data indicating progress of incrementally moving the item based at least in part on the first instructions; andsend, to a second mobile robot of the mobile robot group over the one or more data networks, second instructions to incrementally move the item by the second mobile robot based at least in part on the arrangement of the mobile robots within the mobile robot group, the second instructions corresponding to a second task from the tasks and sent based at least in part on the first data and on dependency between the second task and the first task from the dependencies.