How it works
How Shelfbot Works
Bins are stored in racking. Robots retrieve them and present them to operators at pick stations. An operator uses a mobile pick wall to batch pick up to 12 orders simultaneously while robots work continuously. Bins return to high-density storage.
- • Goods-to-Person ASRS
- • Uses standard warehouse racking
- • Fixed operator stations
Automation Made Simple
Shelfbot is Goods-to-Person: it replaces walking through aisles with bin presentation. An operator uses a mobile pick wall to batch pick multiple orders while moving between pick stations. Robots retrieve and return bins automatically, staying continuously active. Sequential pick-to-light guides each pick with scan confirmation.
Four steps
What the operator experiences
- • Bin arrives at the station
- • Access hatch unlocks for safe access
- • Pick/replenish with barcode confirmation
- • Close hatch, press reset, return bin
- • Move to the next station when prompted
The goal is low cognitive load: operators focus on the work, not the system. Efficiency and accuracy are built into the design, not dependent on operator skill.
What's in the system
Shelfbot is modular: robots operate inside racking aisles on fixed rails and present bins at pick stations.
Robots
Each robot runs inside a single racking aisle on fixed upper and lower rails. The top car provides hoisting; the bottom car stabilises motion.
Platform
The platform extracts and deposits bins using motor-driven arms. It moves vertically adjacent to the racking.
Pick Wall
Mobile 12-bin pick wall with sequential pick-to-light and RFID tracking enables batch picking of multiple orders simultaneously while keeping all robots continuously working.
Pick Station
Each aisle has a pick station at the end. Pick stations include an interlocked access hatch, safety controls, and the operator iPad running the Shelfbot App.
Server + Cloud Connectivity
A local server coordinates robots and integrates with external systems via secure API and cloud-connected redundancy.
Bins
Standard bins are mechanically compatible for robotic extraction and provide consistent storage density and presentation.
Picking and replenishment modes
Picking
- • Manual pick: select an order and start picking.
- • Auto pick: the system cycles orders and presents bins continuously when a pick bin is inducted.
- • Barcode-guided confirmation reduces errors and keeps inventory aligned with the external system.
Replenishment
- • Manual replenish: search/scan an item and choose an existing bin or add a new bin.
- • Fetch mode: the system continuously presents empty bins for replenishment.
- • FIFO/batch considerations can influence whether you top-up a bin or add a fresh one.
Retrieval
- • Scan or search a product and view all bins that contain it.
- • Fetch a specific bin when required (e.g. cycle count, investigation, replenishment).
Practical note: unscanned picks or replenishments create inventory mismatches between Shelfbot and your external system.
Integration with your WMS / ERP
Shelfbot relies on your external system for product master data, inventory, and orders. Integration is via secure API, so Shelfbot can ingest orders, present the right bins, and keep stock aligned.
The integration is bidirectional: your WMS sends product data and orders to Shelfbot, and Shelfbot sends back inventory transactions, pick confirmations, and order status updates in real time.
Integration overview →Minimum requirements
- • Unique SKUs (including variants)
- • Unique order IDs and line IDs
- • A documented API with secure access for products, inventory, and orders
Safety is part of the workflow
What keeps people safe
- • Interlocked front door and access hatch
- • Category 0 stop behaviour for emergency and safeguarded stops
- • Perimeter guarding around robot aisles
- • Reset process after each pick cycle (operator closes hatch, presses reset, returns bin)
Shelfbot is designed so operators interact with bins, not moving machinery. During every pick cycle, opening the access hatch triggers a safeguarded stop so the operator has safe access to the bin contents. When the operator closes the hatch and presses reset, the robot completes the cycle and returns the bin.
Perimeter guarding prevents access to robot aisles during operation, and emergency stop controls are positioned at every pick station.
Dangerous or flammable products (e.g. flammable liquids, solvents, hazardous chemicals) are not permitted unless explicitly assessed and approved as part of site safety engineering.
Want to see it in your warehouse?
The fastest path to a confident design is a short discovery: your SKU profile, order history, and site constraints.
See it. Understand it. Trust it.
Book a 30-minute demo and we'll show you exactly how Shelfbot would work in your warehouse—with a custom ROI projection for your specific operation.