Multidirectional robotic shelf restocking system

A multidirectional robotic shelf restocking apparatus, comprising:

• with the restocking apparatus being configured to operate in first and second adjoining regions, with the first region being above or below the second region defined by opposing stocked shelf structures having sets of stocked items and the first region being associated with items to restock at least one of the sets of stocked items, with each stocked shelf structure having multiple shelves at various horizontal levels, with each shelf having one or more of the sets of stocked items with each set having the same stocked item linearly arranged on the shelf along a first longitudinal axis, the restocking apparatus having a controller device, a vertical motion mechanism and corresponding vertical motion drive operable to move the vertical motion mechanism in a vertical direction, an arm member and a corresponding rotational motion drive operable to rotate the arm member between the stocked shelf structures and a corresponding first linear motion drive operable to linearly extend and retract the arm member, and an end effector coupled to the arm member and configured to transfer an item to restock from a first position associated with the first region to a second position associated with the second region by the motion of the vertical motion mechanism and the arm member, the end effector including a coupling mechanism operable to releasably secure an item and a second linear motion mechanism coupled to the coupling mechanism and a corresponding second linear motion drive operable to extend and retract the coupling mechanism;
• and
• wherein the controller device includes processing circuitry and memory, with the memory containing instructions executable by the processing circuitry whereby the processing circuitry is configured to:
• control the vertical motion drive, the rotational motion drive, or the first linear motion drive to transfer an item from the first position associated with the first region to the second position associated with the second region so as to restock at least one of the sets of stocked items linearly arranged on the shelves of the stocked shelf structures.