An energy-efficient wire-based storage and retrieval system

Conventional automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) are widely used to realize an efficient infrastructure for large warehouses. Nevertheless, they require a lot of energy when performing the storage of goods in high racks. This paper presents a new AS/RS type based on a wire robot technology which is very lightweight and therefore capable for huge energy savings compared to the conventional systems. While wire robots usually create the required wire forces only by electrical motors, the application of counterweights and springs offers additional energy saving potential which is simulated and discussed. Since the computation of the wire forces is usually computationally demanding, the paper also proposes a new real-time-capable and simple method to solve this problem.