Middleware-based uav-ugb logistics system

An autonomous warehouse package delivery system, comprising:

• a warehouse including:
• a U-shaped conveyor belt;
• a plurality of shelving units configured to store packages;
• a plurality of package stacks;
• a first plurality of robots;
• a second plurality of robots;
• a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) landing pads located outside of the warehouse;
• a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), wherein each UGV is configured to autonomously pick up a package from the shelf, navigate to one of the UAV landing pads, and place the package on the UAV landing pad;
• a plurality of UAVs configured to travel to the UAV landing pad and pick up a package from the UAV landing pad, autonomously fly to a package delivery address and release the package at the package delivery address;
• a plurality of warehouse servers;
• and
• a real-time data distribution middleware network connected to the U-shaped conveyor belt, the first plurality of robots, the second plurality of robots, the plurality of UGVs, the plurality of UAVs and the plurality of servers, wherein the real-time data distribution middleware network is configured to use a publish/subscribe protocol to facilitate direct communication among the U-shaped conveyor belt, the first plurality of robots, the second plurality of robots, the plurality of UGVs, the plurality of UAVs and the plurality of warehouse servers.

An autonomous warehouse package delivery communication method, comprising:

• connecting a real-time data distribution middleware network to a U-shaped conveyor belt, a first plurality of robots, a second plurality of robots, a plurality of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), a plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and a plurality of warehouse servers;
• using, by the real-time data distribution middleware network, a publish/subscribe protocol to facilitate communication among the first plurality of robots, the second plurality of robots, the plurality of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), the plurality of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and the plurality of warehouse servers;
• connecting a database to the plurality of warehouse servers, wherein the database is configured to record a UGV location and an availability status of each of the UGVs, a UAV location and an availability status of each of the UAVs, a robot status of each of the first plurality of robots, a robot status of each of the second plurality of robots, a shelf location, an availability status of each package and a package identifier for each package;
• monitoring, by system administrator computer station operatively connected to the plurality of servers, the UGV location and availability status, the UAV location and availability status, the availability status of each package, a package inventory and ordering supplies of the package inventory;
• receiving, by the plurality of warehouse servers, a plurality of package orders each including a package delivery address;
• saving the package order with the package delivery address in the database;
• publishing an order topic for each of the plurality of package orders;
• for each package order:
• searching the database to determine an availability of the package of the package order;
• retrieving the shelf location and the package identifier;
• subscribing to a UGV status topic of each of the UGVs, wherein the UGV status topic includes an availability and a location of each UGV;
• subscribing to a UAV status topic of each of the UAVs, wherein the UAV status topic includes an availability and a location of each UAV;
• determining, by a simulated annealing procedure, a UGV which is closest to the shelf location and available to retrieve the package and a UAV which is closest to the shelf location and available to deliver the package to the package delivery address;
• publishing a UGV identifier of the UGV closest to the shelf location to a UGV package path topic;
• publishing a UAV identifier of the UAV closest to the shelf location to a UAV path topic;
• calculating a transfer path for the UGV closest to the shelf location to retrieve the package from the shelf location and deliver the package to a UAV landing pad for the UAV closest to the shelf location, and publish a UGV to UAV package path topic;
• subscribing, by each UGV, to the order topic, listening for its UGV identifier, retrieving the package identifier from the order topic, subscribing to the UGV package path topic, retrieving the transfer path, retrieving the package from the shelf location, subscribing to the UGV to UAV path topic, autonomously delivering the package to the UAV landing pad for the UAV closest to the shelf location, and publishing on the package status topic that the package was delivered to the UAV landing pad;
• and
• subscribing, by each UAV, to the package status topic, listening for its UAV identifier, subscribing to the package position topic, moving to the UAV landing pad, picking up the package, publishing the package identifier and updating the package status on the package status topic and autonomously flying the package to the package delivery address, delivering the package and publishing to the package status topic that the package was delivered.

The autonomous warehouse package delivery communication method, comprising:

• housing, in a warehouse, the U-shaped conveyor belt, the first plurality of robots, the second plurality of robots, an inventory receiving area configured with package stacks which store the package inventory and a plurality of shelving units each including an array of shelves, wherein each shelf is configured to hold one package;
• locating each robot of the first plurality of robots between a package stack and the U-shaped conveyor belt, wherein each robot of the first plurality of robots is configured to remove a package from the package stack and place the package on the U-shaped conveyor belt;
• and
• locating each robot of the second plurality of robots at an assigned workstation between a respective shelving unit and the U-shaped conveyor belt, wherein each of the second plurality of robots is configured to remove each package from the U-shaped conveyor belt as it arrives in front of the assigned workstation, place the package on one of the shelves of the respective shelving unit and publish a package position topic including the package identifier and the shelf location to a package position topic.