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Bot position sensing

  • US 9,309,050 B2
  • Filed: 04/13/2015
  • Issued: 04/12/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method comprising:

  • providing at least one vertical lift having at least one shelf having support fingers;

    providing reference datums on at least one wall adjacent the multilevel vertical conveyor, the reference datums being substantially aligned with the support fingers;

    sensing each of the reference datums with at least one sensor of an autonomous transport vehicle and outputting a signal indicating when a reference datum is sensed;

    aligning transfer arm fingers of a transfer arm of the autonomous transport vehicle with spaces located between the support fingers of the at least one shelf based on the determined location of the autonomous transport vehicle for extending the transfer arm fingers into a path of the shelf without substantial contact with the supporting fingers;

    determining, with a controller, a location of the autonomous transport vehicle relative to the support fingers based on the output signal from the at least one sensor; and

    verifying a location of the autonomous transport vehicle within a storage structure of a storage and retrieval system based on at least the output signal from the at least one sensor, and comprising comparing a location of the autonomous transport vehicle at a time a reference datum is sensed with a predetermined location of the reference datum and updating a verified location of the autonomous transport vehicle if the locations substantially coincide.

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