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GETTING TO THE RIGHT SHELF BY BARCODE
Warehouse robots assist warehouse workers by retrieving goods
from shelves and then transporting the goods all by themselves.
Transport robots like these can be seen driving through
warehouses completely on their own, without human operators.
In this task, the robots are guided by barcodes (see “Check it out,”
page 96) placed on the floor by the shelves. A laser scanner on
the robot recognizes the barcodes and lets the robot locate just
the right shelf from among
hundreds. Then the robot slides under the shelf and turns on its
own axis. In the process, it attaches itself to the shelving unit and
lifts it a few centimeters. The parts that are stored on the shelves
can then be transported under the guidance of a computer to a
different location, for packing, shipping, or storage.
IN THE “WARNING ZONE”: SLOW DOWN
,
IN THE “SAFETY ZONE”: STOP!
Similar conditions can be found in hospit
als, where vast quantities of laundry, foo
d, and
medical equipment must be transported t
o and fro every day.
Robots find their way around with the us
e of
hosptial floor plans stored inside them. O
f
course, any fixed installations such as
lockers are included in the floor plans as
well. To use clinic robots like these, you n
eed
a wireless communication network such a
s a
WLAN (see “Check it out,” page 97), whic
h
maintains contact between the robots and a
control center — after all, someone has t
o
keep track of their location. The WLAN ha
s to
be able to work inside elevators too, of
course, because robots use them as well
.
Revolutionizing the Way We Live:
Transport Robots
CHECK IT OUT
75
Robots for Transport