Systems, devices, and methods for inventory management of carpet rolls in a warehouse

A lift truck for autonomous storage and retrieval of carpet rolls in a warehouse, the lift truck comprising:

• a frame;
• a mast attached to the frame;
• a cylindrically-shaped pole fixedly mounted on the mast by a carrier, which is movable laterally in a direction perpendicular to a direction of a length of the pole by one or more hydraulic, pneumatic, or electrical lateral actuators, wherein the pole is configured to be inserted concentrically within a core of a carpet roll to lift the carpet roll for transport;
• a plurality of imaging devices mounted on the lift truck in a displaceable manner;
• at least one navigation sensor;
• at least one safety sensor;
• at least one emergency stop;
• and
• at least three wheels, comprising two traction wheels located in a same vertical plane on opposite sides of the lift truck and one steering wheel, wherein the traction wheels are each configured to apply a locomotive force to the lift truck and the steering wheel is configured to rotate to change a direction of travel of the lift truck.

A method of managing an inventory of carpet rolls in a warehouse, the method comprising:

• providing one or more lift trucks in a warehouse comprising a plurality of carpet rolls on one or more carpet racks;
• sending, via a system manager, at least one instruction to a lift truck of the one or more lift trucks;
• determining an origin point associated with the at least one instruction;
• moving the lift truck to the origin point specified in the at least one instruction;
• scanning, via an infrared camera, carpet rolls on a carpet rack located to a side of a transit path determined by the lift truck moving to the origin point;
• detecting, via image processing, the carpet rolls scanned by the infrared camera;
• moving, once an identity of a carpet roll specified in the at least one instruction is detected, the lift truck to an insertion position, such that a pole attached to the lift truck is aligned with a core of the carpet roll specified in the at least one instruction;
• verifying, via an infrared pole camera mounted on a distal end of the pole, the identity of the carpet roll detected;
• processing one or more images from the pole camera to determine a center of the core of the carpet roll;
• inserting, after the identity of the carpet roll is verified and the center of the core is determined, the pole into the center of the core of the carpet roll;
• raising a mast, by which the pole is attached to the lift truck, to lift the carpet roll;
• transporting, using the lift truck, the carpet roll to a destination point specified by the at least one instruction;
• depositing the carpet roll at the destination point;
• transmitting, via a wireless antenna the system manager, a location and/or a height within the warehouse where the carpet roll was deposited;
• and
• storing the location and/or height in a database.