Mobile work station for transporting a plurality of articles
AssigneeAdvanced Intelligent Systems Inc.
InventorFarhang Bidram
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus and method for transporting a plurality of articles is disclosed. The apparatus includes a wheeled chassis, and a platform disposed on the wheeled chassis. The apparatus also includes a manipulator coupled to the wheeled chassis and operably configured to load a first article of the plurality of articles at a first position on the platform, or unload the first article of the plurality of articles from the first position on the platform. The apparatus further includes at least one actuator operably configured to cause successive relative rotational movements between the manipulator and the platform to provide access to successive rotationally spaced apart positions on the platform for loading or unloading each subsequent article in the plurality of articles.
Claims11
A method for transporting a plurality of articles between a pickup location and an intended drop-off location on a wheeled chassis having a pair of transceivers disposed in spaced apart relation on the wheeled chassis, the method comprising:
- positioning a pickup beacon proximate the plurality of articles at the pickup location;
- positioning a left drop-off beacon and a right drop-off beacon on either side of the intended drop-off location, the left and right drop-off beacons indicating a desired alignment of the plurality of articles at the intended drop-off location;
- receiving location signals at transceivers disposed on each of the beacons and at the pair of transceivers on the wheeled chassis;
- processing the location signals to determine a location and orientation of the wheeled chassis with respect to the beacons;
- navigating the wheeled chassis using the determined location and orientation of the wheeled chassis to:
- pick up successive articles of the plurality of articles proximate the pickup location;
- move between the pickup location and the intended drop-off location;
- and
- place articles at the intended drop-off location in an aligned relation with respect to the left and right drop-off beacons.
A system for transporting a plurality of articles between a pickup location and an intended drop-off location, the system comprising:
- a wheeled chassis having a pair of transceivers disposed in spaced apart relation on the wheeled chassis;
- a pickup beacon positioned proximate the plurality of articles at the pickup location;
- a left drop-off beacon and a right drop-off beacon positioned on either side of the intended drop-off location, the left and right drop-off beacons indicating a desired alignment of the plurality of articles at the intended drop-off location, each beacon including a transceiver;
- and
- wherein the transceivers on the beacons and the pair of transceivers on the wheeled chassis are operably configured to receive location signals and process the location signals to determine a location and orientation of the wheeled chassis with respect to the beacons for navigating the wheeled chassis to pick up articles in the plurality of articles proximate the pickup location,
- to move between the pickup location and the intended drop-off location, and
- to place articles in the plurality of articles at the intended drop-off location in aligned relation with respect to the left and right drop-off beacons.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.