Pallet spacing system and method

A multi-level commercial storage rack, comprising:

• an upper storage bay directly above a lower storage bay, each extending horizontally from a respective front end to a respective rear end thereof;
• an upper support structure extending from the front end to the rear end of the upper storage bay and a lower support structure extending from the front end to the rear end of the lower storage bay;
• the upper support structure having a pair of upper pallet support rails and the lower support structure having a pair of lower pallet support rails, the upper and lower pallet support rails each adapted to support multiple pallets of goods weighing at least 1000 pounds each;
• the upper support structure having a pair of upper pallet cart support rails under the upper pallet support rails, and the lower support structure having a pair of lower pallet cart support rails under the lower pallet support rails, the upper and lower pallet cart support rails adapted to support the wheels of a robotically automated cart constructed and arranged to move the pallets of goods to different locations on the respective upper and lower pallet support rails within the upper and lower storage bays;
• an arrangement of a plurality of upper position indicators at selected locations within the upper storage bay, and an arrangement of a plurality of lower position indicators at selected locations within the lower storage bay, the upper and lower position indicators adapted to function with a position indicator sensor, the position indicators arranged to indicate the location where the cart deposits the pallets on the upper and lower pallet support rails, and the upper position indicators positioned directly above the lower position indicators;
• whereby the cart can deposit the pallets on the respective upper and lower pallet support rails based on the location of the sensors, with a gap between the pallets on the same pallet support rails, and the gaps between pallets on the upper pallet support rails are vertically aligned with the gaps between the pallets on the lower pallet support rails.