In this project, we used a mobile manipulator combining an autonomous mobile platform with a robotic arm to connect material racks with multiple processing stations.
The robot does more than transport materials between fixed locations. It interacts directly with the storage racks, retrieves individual material carriers, places them in an onboard buffer, travels between different storage and production points, and then unloads the materials at the corresponding machines.
The video shows a complete rack-to-machine material handling workflow, including rack access, material pickup, onboard buffering, multi-location transport, and automatic unloading.
Automated Pickup from Pull-Out Material Racks
The task begins at the material storage area, where multiple carriers are arranged on multi-level racks.
After arriving at the designated rack, the mobile manipulator positions itself beside the storage location. The robotic arm reaches toward the selected rack level and pulls the sliding section outward, creating access to the required material carrier.
Once the carrier is accessible, the arm picks it from the rack and transfers it to the temporary storage area mounted on the mobile platform.
After completing the pickup, the robot pushes the rack section back into its original position.
This sequence allows the mobile manipulator to work directly with an existing rack-based storage system rather than relying on an operator to remove materials and place them onto an AMR manually.
Position at rack -> pull out rack section -> retrieve material -> place material in onboard buffer -> return rack section
Collecting Materials from Multiple Storage Locations
After completing the first pickup, the robot moves to another material rack and repeats the operation.
The onboard platform contains several dedicated positions for temporarily carrying the retrieved materials. This allows the robot to collect more than one carrier before traveling to the production equipment.
Instead of making a separate transport trip for every individual pickup, the mobile manipulator can move between several storage locations, load the required materials onto its own platform, and then proceed to the corresponding machines.
In the video, the robotic arm repeatedly performs the same interaction sequence at different rack locations while the mobile base provides the movement between them.
The two systems therefore divide the task naturally: the mobile platform handles transportation between locations, while the robotic arm performs the physical pickup and rack interaction.
Transporting Materials to the Corresponding Machine
After the required materials have been collected, the robot leaves the rack area and travels to the production equipment.
At the destination, the mobile platform stops beside the designated machine. The robotic arm then reaches toward the onboard temporary storage area, picks up the corresponding material carrier, and transfers it to the machine-side loading position.
The robot subsequently moves to another machine and performs the unloading operation again.
Material rack -> robotic pickup -> onboard buffer -> autonomous transport -> machine-side unloading
Connecting Storage and Production with One Mobile Manipulator
One of the more distinctive aspects of this project is that the robot interacts with both sides of the material flow.
At the storage end, it opens the rack, removes the required carrier, and restores the rack after pickup. At the production end, it identifies the corresponding onboard position and transfers the material to the required machine.
This reduces the number of fixed transfer devices needed between the storage area and the production equipment.
A conventional mobile robot can transport a cart or container between two points, but loading and unloading normally require additional automation or manual handling. In this project, the robotic arm allows the mobile platform to complete these interfaces directly.
The result is a mobile handling system capable of serving several racks and several machines without being permanently installed at any single station.
Multi-Station Rack-to-Machine Material Handling
The complete workflow demonstrated in the project includes:
Travel to material rack -> pull out rack -> pick material carrier -> place carrier in onboard buffer -> return rack -> move to another rack -> repeat pickup -> travel to machine -> unload corresponding material -> move to the next machine -> complete the next delivery
This type of mobile manipulator can be applied where materials, fixtures, trays, or workpiece carriers need to circulate between distributed storage locations and processing equipment.
For production environments with multiple racks and machines, the combination of mobile transport, onboard buffering, and robotic handling provides a flexible way to automate the material flow between storage and manufacturing operations.