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Automated Delivery of Trays in Vertical Farming

Automated FOUP Handling and Delivery

SESTO’s Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) streamline material handling in vertical farming environments by automating the transport of seedling and harvest trays between growing racks, processing zones, and storage areas. Powered by the Magnus AMR platform, the system ensures reliable tray movement with precise navigation in narrow aisles by enhancing productivity and ensuring consistent crop flow in controlled environments.

Challenges
  • Manual transport: Staff manually moved heavy tray racks between zones, increasing fatigue and labor time.
  • Space constraints: Narrow aisles and multi-tier layouts required precise, collision-free navigation.
  • Cycle timing: Manual handling slowed the rotation between seeding, growing, and harvesting areas.
  • Scalability: Expanding tray capacity required automation to maintain consistency across shifts.
Solutions
  • Automated tray movement: SESTO AMRs autonomously deliver trays between growing and processing zones.
  • High-precision navigation: LiDAR and sensor-based mapping ensure safe movement in compact pathways.
  • Seamless integration: Works with existing shelving and vertical farming infrastructure.
  • Coordinated fleet management: MagFleet system schedules and monitors delivery missions for efficiency.
  • Continuous operation: Supports daily round-the-clock tray transfers to match crop cycles.
Outcome
  • Reduced manual workload: Freed farm staff from repetitive material transport tasks.
  • Improved efficiency: Faster and more consistent tray rotations increased production throughput.
  • Enhanced safety: Autonomous transport minimizes handling risks in tight operating spaces.
  • Scalable automation: Adaptable to additional growing racks and zones as farm operations expand.
  • Sustained uptime: Continuous 24/7 operation supports reliable urban farming output.