Controlling vehicles

A method of controlling a plurality of container handling vehicles operating in an automated storage and retrieval system, comprising:

• defining a plurality of grid locations of the automated storage and retrieval system;
• defining a first subset of the plurality of grid locations as a virtual highway;
• determining a first job to be performed by a first container handling vehicle, the first job comprising a first position and a second position;
• determining a first path between the first position and the second position, wherein determining the first path comprises:
• calculating a first cost for travelling from the first position to a first adjacent position on a first vector, based on the relative locations of the first vector and the virtual highway, calculating a second cost for travelling from the first position to a second adjacent position on a second vector, based on relative locations of the second vector and the virtual highway, determining that the first vector is preferred over the second vector based at least in part on the first cost for travelling and the second cost for travelling, and adding the first vector to the first path.

A controller configured to perform a method of controlling a plurality of container handling vehicles operating in an automated storage and retrieval system, the method comprising:

• defining a plurality of grid locations of the automated storage and retrieval system;
• defining a first subset of the plurality of grid locations as a virtual highway;
• determining a first job to be performed by a first container handling vehicle, the first job comprising a first position and a second position;
• determining a first path between the first position and the second position, wherein determining the first path comprises:
• calculating a first cost for travelling from the first position to a first adjacent position on a first vector, based on relative locations of the first vector and the virtual highway, calculating a second cost for travelling from the first position to a second adjacent position on a second vector, based on the relative locations of the second vector and the virtual highway, determining that the first vector is preferred over the second vector based at least in part on the first cost for travelling and the second cost for travelling, and adding the first vector to the first path.

A computer-readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of an automated storage and retrieval system or a container handling vehicle, cause the automated storage and retrieval system or the container handling vehicle to execute controlling a plurality of container handling vehicles operating in an automated storage and retrieval system by:

• defining a plurality of grid locations of the automated storage and retrieval system;
• defining a first subset of the plurality of grid locations as a virtual highway;
• determining a first job to be performed by a first container handling vehicle, the first job comprising a first position and a second position;
• determining a first path between the first position and the second position, wherein determining the first path comprises:
• calculating a first cost for travelling from the first position to a first adjacent position on a first vector, based on the relative locations of the first vector and the virtual highway, calculating a second cost for travelling from the first position to a second adjacent position on a second vector, based on relative locations of the second vector and the virtual highway, determining that the first vector is preferred over the second vector based at least in part on the first cost for travelling and the second cost for travelling, and adding the first vector to the first path.