Patent attributes
Methods and apparatus for robotic induction in materials handling facilities. Singulation and induction of items is performed at one or more induction stations in one or more inventory areas. Each inventory area includes a stock storage area containing storage units, each storage unit including locations for stowing inventory. Mobile robotic devices deliver particular storage units from the stock storage area to particular induction stations. At the induction stations, inductors remove single units of items from locations on the storage units (singulation) and induct the units of items into a conveyance mechanism (induction). The singulated and inducted units of items are conveyed to downstream processing station(s). The operations of the robotic devices, induction stations, conveyance mechanism, and downstream processing may be controlled and/or directed by a control system.
