Mobile Manipulator for Container Loading and Unloading: A Proof-of-Concept Study

Abstract

The manual loading and unloading of carton boxes from truck containers is a crucial operation in warehouse logistics that puts worker health at risk and takes a lot of time. In this paper, a robotic system for automatically loading and unloading carton boxes of various sizes and weights is proposed. The proposed solution involves a mobile manipulator with an end-effector integrated together with other essential components. Static and dynamic stability analyses backed with simulations are used to evaluate the system's stability and reachability. In addition, a software framework is created that can accommodate different box sizes and weights. With the objective to reduce the challenges of manually loading and unloading carton boxes from containers, this paper offers a promising solution.