Robotic shuttle system

Abstract

A robotic shuttle system includes a rack system and one or more shuttles. The rack system includes a rack and a shuttle frame. The rack has storage locations for containers containing items. The shuttle frame has rails disposed along the rack. The shuttle includes a powertrain, container transfer mechanism, and a robot arm. The power train is configured to move the shuttle along the rails of the rack and on a surface outside of the rack system. The container transfer mechanism is configured to transfer the containers between the rack and the shuttle. The robot arm extends from the shuttle to transfer the items between one of the containers on the shuttle and a container in a container holder of the shuttle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A robotic shuttle system, comprising:
 a rack system including one or more racks configured to store one or more items;   a shuttle configured to move along the racks in the rack system;   wherein the shuttle has a base;   wherein the base defines a platform cavity;   wherein the shuttle includes a lift mechanism configured to vertically move a rack container platform;   wherein the lift mechanism is configured to move the rack container platform in a vertical direction between a raised position, a neutral position, and a lowered position;   wherein the rack container platform is positioned above the base when in the raised position;   wherein the rack container platform is positioned below the base when in the lowered position; and   wherein the rack container platform is positioned within the platform cavity when in the neutral position.   
     
     
         2 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the platform cavity is sized to receive the rack container platform; and   the rack container platform is configured to move through the platform cavity when moving between the raised position and the lowered position.   
     
     
         3 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 1 , wherein the shuttle includes a robot arm configured to move the items between the racks and the shuttle. 
     
     
         4 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 3 , wherein the robot arm includes an End of Arm Tool (EoAT) with a shark fin finger to grip the items. 
     
     
         5 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the shark fin finger includes flange members joined together at an acute angle; and   the flange members are connected together by a series of spaced apart cross beams.   
     
     
         6 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 4 , wherein the shark fin finger includes a grip pad with one or more vacuum ports. 
     
     
         7 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the shark fin finger is at least in part made of a deformable material; and   the shark fin finger is configured to bend around the items when gripped.   
     
     
         8 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 1 , wherein the lift mechanism includes a scissor linkage assembly coupled between the rack container platform and the base. 
     
     
         9 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 8 , wherein the lift mechanism includes one or more actuator motors coupled to the scissor linkage assembly to raise and lower the rack container platform. 
     
     
         10 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 1 , wherein the rack container platform has an extendable conveyor configured to extend to an extended position in the racks. 
     
     
         11 . A robotic shuttle system, comprising:
 a rack system including one or more racks configured to store one or more items;   a shuttle configured to move along the racks in the rack system;   wherein the rack system includes an elevator with an elevator platform configured to vertically move the shuttle;   wherein the rack system includes a mezzanine and the elevator has a mezzanine entrance to transfer the shuttle to and from the mezzanine;   wherein the elevator platform includes one or more retention brackets configured to retain the shuttle;   wherein the elevator platform includes one or more rails that support the shuttle; and   wherein the rails have a ramped section that is tapered for loading the shuttle onto the elevator platform.   
     
     
         12 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a tote with an internal separator supported on the shuttle.   
     
     
         13 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the internal separator includes a monolayer web configured to separate the items;   the monolayer web includes a grid of elastic bands; and   the grid has a perpendicular array of the elastic bands to separate the items.   
     
     
         14 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 12 , wherein the shuttle includes a vision system for picking dense random storage of the items in the tote. 
     
     
         15 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 12 , wherein the shuttle is configured to map position of the items in the tote for blind picking. 
     
     
         16 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 11 , wherein the shuttle is configured to move independently outside of the rack system. 
     
     
         17 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the shuttle includes one or more steerable wheels that are powered by the shuttle;   the shuttle includes an Energy Storage System (ESS); and   the wheels are configured to form an electrical circuit with rails to charge the ESS.   
     
     
         18 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 11 , wherein the shuttle includes a robot arm configured to move the items between the racks and the shuttle. 
     
     
         19 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the robot arm includes an End of Arm Tool (EoAT) with a shark fin finger to grip the items; and   the EoAT includes an extendable palm vacuum cup that is configured to extend from the EoAT.   
     
     
         20 . The robotic shuttle system of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the shuttle includes a lift mechanism configured to vertically move a rack container platform;   the lift mechanism is configured to raise the rack container platform above the shuttle;   the lift mechanism is configured to lower the rack container platform below the shuttle; and   the lift mechanism is configured to move the rack container platform above and below the shuttle.