Amazon.com, Inc.
Techniques for obstacle detection and avoidance

Abstract:

Systems and methods are provided herein for obstacle detection and avoidance. An obstacle (e.g., a fallen object, an area of congestion, etc.) may be detected utilizing sensor data and/or navigational information provided by various components of a workspace (e.g., mobile drive units, standalone sensors, etc.). Obstacle information corresponding to the obstacle may be utilized to identify tasks within the workspace that may be affected by the obstacle. Paths for these affected tasks may be altered and any subsequent path generated by the system may be generated based at least in part on the obstacle, so long as the obstacle exists. Utilizing the techniques provided herein, the workflows/tasks/paths of the components of the system may be managed so as to avoid interactions between the components of the system and any known obstacle.