Mobile robots for a fulfillment center and methods of automatic order fulfillment using same

A mobile picker apparatus configured to operate in an environment to facilitate order fulfillment, the apparatus comprising:

• a body portion;
• a set of wheels, coupled to the body portion, to move the apparatus within the environment;
• a frame coupled to the body portion;
• a platform, movably coupled to the frame along a vertical direction, configured to support a box, the platform having a first range of travel along the vertical direction;
• and
• a picker robot rigidly coupled to the frame, the picker robot comprising:
• a robotic arm having a first end rigidly coupled to the frame and a second end, the robotic arm providing less than six degrees of freedom of movement;
• and
• a gripper coupled to the second end of the robotic arm and movable, via the robotic arm, along the vertical direction, the gripper having a second range of travel along the vertical direction less than and overlapping with the first range of travel,
• wherein the picker robot is configured to pick an item from the box when the platform is moved near the picker robot such that the item is within the second range of travel of the gripper.

A mobile picker apparatus configured to operate in an environment to facilitate order fulfillment, the apparatus comprising:

• a body portion;
• a set of wheels, coupled to the body portion, to move the apparatus within the environment;
• a frame arm coupled to the body portion;
• a set of platforms movably coupled to the frame arm, each platform of the set of platforms being configured to support a box;
• a camera assembly rigidly coupled to the frame arm, the camera assembly comprising:
• a robotic arm;
• a camera coupled to the robotic arm, the camera and the robotic arm having a first pose such that, when the camera and the robotic arm in the first pose and the set of platforms moves along the frame arm past the camera assembly, the set of platforms do not physically contact the camera assembly;
• and
• a locking mechanism, coupled to the robotic arm and the camera, to lock the robotic arm and the camera in the first pose;
• and
• a picker robot, coupled to the frame arm, having a second pose such that, when the picker robot is in the second pose and the set of platforms moves along the frame arm past the picker robot, the set of platforms do not physically contact the picker robot.