Protection system for multi-zone robotic area

A computer system comprising:

• a mobile drive unit configured to autonomously move in a fulfillment center;
• a robotic arm configured to pack and stow items moved by the mobile drive unit within the fulfillment center;
• a plurality of sensors mounted in association with the robotic arm;
• and
• a management module communicatively coupled with the mobile drive unit and the plurality of sensors and configured to:
• receive, from the plurality of sensors, sensor data in a detection space of the fulfillment center, and the detection space being adjacent to the robotic arm;
• determine that an object has entered the detection space based at least in part on the sensor data;
• determine that at least one of the plurality of sensors has changed a state in association with the object entering the detection space;
• and
• when the object is identified as the mobile drive unit based at least in part on the changed state of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, deactivate protection rules associated with the robotic arm.

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• receiving, by a computing system from a plurality of sensors, sensor data in a detection space, and the detection space being adjacent to a robotic arm and the plurality of sensors;
• determining, by the computing system, that an object has entered the detection space based at least in part on the sensor data;
• determining, by the computing system, that at least one of the plurality of sensors has changed a state in association with the object entering the detection space;
• and
• when the object is identified as a mobile drive unit configured to autonomously move in the detection space based at least in part on the changed state of the at least one of the plurality of sensors, deactivating, by the computing system, protection rules associated with the robotic arm.