Autonomous transport vehicle

A material handling system comprising:

• a storage structure having:
• picking aisles,
• storage spaces arranged along opposite sides of the picking aisles,
• a transfer deck coupled to each of the picking aisles;
• and
• an autonomous transport vehicle having:
• a longitudinally elongated frame having a payload area, the payload area having opposing lateral sides,
• wheels supporting the longitudinally elongated frame so as to configure the frame for traverse along traverse surfaces of the transfer deck and the picking aisles, where the transfer deck is configured to effect autonomous transport vehicle traverse access to a respective traverse surface of each of the picking aisles, and
• a transfer arm coupled to the frame and disposed, at least in part, within the payload area, the transfer arm including telescoping fingers configured to support at least one payload and bi-directionally extend, from the payload area, from one of both of the opposing lateral sides to effect, with the autonomous transport vehicle in a picking aisle, transfer of the at least one payload between the payload area and at least one storage space of the storage spaces arranged along the opposite sides of the picking aisle with a single traverse of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisle.

A method of transferring payloads in a material handling system, the method comprising:

• providing a storage structure with picking aisles, payload holding spaces arranged along opposite sides of the picking aisles, and a transfer deck coupled to each of the picking aisles;
• and
• transferring payloads between an autonomous transport vehicle and the payload holding spaces where the autonomous transport vehicle includes:
• a longitudinally elongated frame having a payload area, the payload area having opposing lateral sides,
• wheels supporting the longitudinally elongated frame so as to configure the frame for traverse along traverse surfaces of the transfer deck and the picking aisles, where the transfer deck is configured to effect autonomous transport vehicle traverse access to a respective traverse surface of each of the picking aisles, and
• a transfer arm coupled to the frame and disposed, at least in part, within the payload area, the transfer arm including telescoping fingers configured to support at least one payload;
• wherein transferring the payloads is effected by bi-directionally extending the telescoping fingers, from the payload area, from one of both of f the opposing lateral sides, with the autonomous transport vehicle in a picking aisle, to transfer the at least one payload between the payload area and at least one payload holding space of the payload holding spaces arranged along the opposite sides of the picking aisle with a single traverse of the autonomous transport vehicle through the picking aisle.