Patent ID: 8731722

Claim:
A machine comprising: a. a real material handling system, the real material handling system comprising a plurality of sensors operable to provide data regarding operation of the real material handling system; b. a computer, the computer configured to: 1. simulate a virtual material handling system operating with one or more virtual objects, wherein each of the one or more virtual objects is a simulated carton, wherein operating with one or more virtual objects comprises moving the one or more virtual objects from one location to another, wherein the virtual material handling system is equivalent to the real material handling system; 2. generate data regarding the simulated operation of the virtual material handling system, wherein the data regarding simulated operation of the virtual material handling system comprises a signal indication detection of a bar code associated with a simulated carton; 3. provide a logic engine configured to receive data regarding operation of one or more material handling systems taken from the group of material handling systems consisting of: i. the real material handling system; and ii. the virtual material handling system; and, based on that data, generate one or more commands; 4. provide the one or more commands generated by the logic engine to the real material handling system and the virtual material handling system, wherein the one or more commands comprises a command for routing the simulated carton associated with the detected bar code to a destination; 5. provide a subset of the data regarding operation of the real material handling system to the virtual material handling system; 6. modify the simulated operation of the virtual material handling system to match the operation of the real material handling system as indicated by the subset of the data regarding operation of the real material handling system; and 7. identify a problem in operation of the real material handling system when the real material handling system and the virtual material handling system are operating identically based on detecting a problem in handling of the one or more virtual objects.