Automated Storage and Retrieval System

An automated storage and retrieval system, commonly abbreviated AS/RS, is a computer-controlled arrangement of machines that automatically places loads into and retrieves them from defined storage locations, without a worker walking the aisles by hand. Such systems first appeared in the 1960s, originally built to handle heavy palletized loads in warehouses, and the technology has since evolved to manage progressively smaller loads down to individual cartons and bins. A central computer tracks inventory in real time and directs dedicated storage and retrieval machines to the correct location whenever an item is requested, and organizations adopt the systems chiefly where volume is high, floor space is limited, or accuracy matters enough that a costly picking error must be avoided.