System and method for overhead warehousing

An overhead warehousing system for use in a warehouse having a ceiling and a plurality of storage racks supported by a floor of a warehouse, said overhead warehousing system comprising:

• a plurality of drawers each configured to contain a parcel, said each drawer being positioned at a designated parcel retrieval location of one of a plurality of individual cells in each of said plurality of storage racks and adapted to be opened and closed relative to said one individual cell;
• a plurality of flight corridors defined along the storage racks adjacent to said plurality of individual cells;
• a plurality of drones each having a gripper head translatable relative to an opened one of said drawers at said designated parcel retrieval location of said respective one individual cell for retrieving a parcel from said opened one of said drawers;
• and
• a communication subsystem in communication with said drones for plotting flight trajectories for said drones and controlling flying of said drones on said flight trajectories along said flight corridors so as to monitor locations of each of said drones to prevent collisions between said drones as they fly from and to a designated docking station and selected ones of designated parcel retrieval locations and selected ones of designated parcel drop locations, said communication subsystem also in communication with said drones for controlling translation of said gripper heads relative to said opened ones of said drawers and further in communication with said individual cells for opening and closing said drawers of selected ones of said individual cells as said drones approach and depart said selected ones of individual cells.

An overhead warehousing method for use in a warehouse having a ceiling and a plurality of storage racks supported by a floor of the warehouse, said overhead warehousing method comprising the steps of:

• providing a plurality of drawers each configured to contain a parcel, with each drawer being positioned at a designated parcel retrieval location of one of a plurality of individual cells in each of the plurality of storage racks and adapted to be opened and closed relative to the one individual cell;
• providing a plurality of flight corridors defined along the storage racks adjacent to the plurality of individual cells;
• providing a plurality of drones each having a gripper head translatable relative to an opened one of the drawers at the designated parcel retrieval location of the respective one of the individual cells for retrieving a parcel from the opened one of the drawers;
• communicating with the drones to plot flight trajectories for the drones;
• communicating with the drones to control flying of the drones on the flight trajectories along the flight corridors and from and to a designated docking station and selected ones of designated parcel retrieval locations and selected ones of designated parcel drop locations;
• communicating with the drones to control translation of gripper heads relative to opened ones of the drawers;
• and
• communicating with the individual cells to open and close drawers of selected ones of the individual cells as the drones approach and depart the selected ones of the individual cells.