A method of conveying articles on a robotic material handling system, the method comprising: receiving, on a center conveyor, one or more articles exiting from a front-end shelf conveyor; activating at least one of a plurality of zones on the center conveyor to convey the one or more articles downstream on the center conveyor; guiding the one or more articles with angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) towards an end conveyor, wherein the end conveyor is narrower than the center conveyor; the method being characterized in: detecting one or more jammed stationary articles on the center conveyor between the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b); dislodging the one or more jammed stationary articles on the center conveyor by causing the steps of: i) moving the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) apart at downstream ends to widen a path to pass the one or more jammed stationary articles towards the end conveyor, ii) moving the one or more jammed stationary articles upstream away from the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating two or more of the plurality of zones, and iii) separating the one or more jammed stationary articles to pass between the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating one or more of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles, wherein separating the one or more jammed stationary articles further comprises actuating at least one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in an upstream direction, while actuating at least another one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in a downstream direction. receiving, on a center conveyor, one or more articles exiting from a front-end shelf conveyor; activating at least one of a plurality of zones on the center conveyor to convey the one or more articles downstream on the center conveyor; guiding the one or more articles with angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) towards an end conveyor, wherein the end conveyor is narrower than the center conveyor; the method being characterized in: detecting one or more jammed stationary articles on the center conveyor between the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b); dislodging the one or more jammed stationary articles on the center conveyor by causing the steps of: i) moving the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) apart at downstream ends to widen a path to pass the one or more jammed stationary articles towards the end conveyor, ii) moving the one or more jammed stationary articles upstream away from the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating two or more of the plurality of zones, and iii) separating the one or more jammed stationary articles to pass between the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating one or more of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles, wherein separating the one or more jammed stationary articles further comprises actuating at least one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in an upstream direction, while actuating at least another one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in a downstream direction. detecting one or more jammed stationary articles on the center conveyor between the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b); dislodging the one or more jammed stationary articles on the center conveyor by causing the steps of: i) moving the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) apart at downstream ends to widen a path to pass the one or more jammed stationary articles towards the end conveyor, ii) moving the one or more jammed stationary articles upstream away from the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating two or more of the plurality of zones, and iii) separating the one or more jammed stationary articles to pass between the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating one or more of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles, wherein separating the one or more jammed stationary articles further comprises actuating at least one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in an upstream direction, while actuating at least another one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in a downstream direction. i) moving the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) apart at downstream ends to widen a path to pass the one or more jammed stationary articles towards the end conveyor, ii) moving the one or more jammed stationary articles upstream away from the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating two or more of the plurality of zones, and iii) separating the one or more jammed stationary articles to pass between the angled center guides (8540a and 8540b) by activating one or more of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles, wherein separating the one or more jammed stationary articles further comprises actuating at least one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in an upstream direction, while actuating at least another one of the plurality of zones under the one or more jammed stationary articles in a downstream direction.