Container sorting system

Abstract

Provided is a container sorting system, wherein: a camera 20 captures images of a waste group on a conveyor belt conveying the waste group; an image recognition unit 12 recognizes a desired container in the waste group based on the images captured by the camera 20; a first extraction unit 31a extracts the desired container from the waste group conveyed on the conveyor belt; a presence / absence determination unit 15 determines whether any object is present in the extracted desired container; and a sorting device control unit 17 controls whether to have the first extraction unit 31a perform an operation to return the extracted container onto the conveyor belt based on whether any object is present in the extracted container.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a container sorting system. [Background technology]

[0002] At waste disposal sites, large amounts of waste are processed daily on conveyor belts. At the waste disposal sites, the waste is sorted by hand. While sorting waste is a simple task, it places a heavy burden on the workers who sort the waste (hereinafter referred to as "sorters"). Therefore, devices that automatically sort waste (hereinafter referred to as "waste sorting devices") have been developed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-193105 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-181573 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 2021-523026 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the work that was previously performed by a sorting worker is performed by a waste sorting device instead of the sorting worker, the waste sorting device may recognize each piece of waste flowing on the belt conveyor, and based on the recognition results, use a suction pad or the like to extract desired waste (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "desired waste") from the group of waste flowing on the belt conveyor.

[0005] Here, when the desired waste is a bottle, there may be leftover liquid or the like in the bottle. Bottles that have liquid or other objects in them (hereinafter referred to as "object-containing bottles") are not subject to recycling and are therefore excluded from collection.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a technology that can avoid collecting containers that are not eligible for recycling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The container sorting system of the present disclosure includes a camera, a recognition unit, a first extraction unit, a first determination unit, and a control unit. The camera captures an image of a group of waste materials on a transport path along which the group of waste materials is transported. The recognition unit recognizes a desired container included in the group of waste materials based on the image. The first extraction unit extracts the desired container from the group of waste materials transported on the transport path. The first determination unit determines whether an object is present in an extracted container, which is the desired container that has been extracted. The control unit controls whether to cause the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the transport path based on whether an object is present in the extracted container.

[0008] According to the disclosed technology, it is possible to avoid collecting containers that are not eligible for recycling. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a container sorting system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the control device and the sorting device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the extraction unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the extraction unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the image recognition unit and the area center of gravity calculation unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the space determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the space determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the space determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the presence / absence determination table according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control device and a sorting device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the presence / absence determining unit according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a container sorting system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a control device and a sorting device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0011] [Example 1] <Container sorting system configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a container sorting system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0012] 1, the container sorting system 1 includes a control device 10, a camera 20, a sorting device 30, a belt conveyor 40, a first collection box 51, a second collection box 52, a first disposal box 53, and a second disposal box 54. The sorting device 30 includes a first extraction unit 31a and a second extraction unit 31b. The control device 10, the camera 20, and the sorting device 30 are connected to each other via a network.

[0013] The following description will be given, as an example, of a case where the container sorting system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is installed at a waste disposal site where waste flows on a belt conveyor 40. That is, the following description will be given, as an example, of a case where the objects to be sorted by the container sorting system 1 are waste. Also, the following description will be given, as an example, of a case where the desired waste is bottles. Bottles are an example of a container, and the disclosed technology can be applied to containers other than bottles. That is, the objects to be sorted by the container sorting system 1 are not limited to bottles, and the container sorting system 1 can be used for various containers.

[0014] The belt conveyor 40 transports the waste mass placed on it in the transport direction CD (+X direction). In other words, the belt conveyor 40 forms a transport path along which the waste mass is transported in the transport direction CD. The waste mass includes bottles and objects other than bottles. The bottles included in the waste mass are broadly divided into desired waste bottles (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "desired bottles") and undesired waste bottles (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "undesired bottles").

[0015] The camera 20 is disposed above the belt conveyor 40 along which the waste mass is transported, has a predetermined angle of view, and captures an image of a predetermined area on the upper surface of the belt conveyor 40 from above the belt conveyor 40 at a constant frame rate. Therefore, the image captured by the camera 20 becomes an image of the waste mass (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "waste mass image"). The waste mass image is transmitted from the camera 20 to the control device 10.

[0016] The control device 10 controls the operation of the sorting device 30 based on the waste group image, and causes the first extraction unit 31a or the second extraction unit 31b to extract desired bottles from among the bottles included in the waste group.

[0017] Under the control of the control device 10, the sorting device 30 sorts bottles by extracting them from the waste mass being transported in the transport direction CD by the belt conveyor 40, and transports the extracted bottles out of the belt conveyor 40. The sorting device 30 extracts bottles from the waste mass using the first extraction unit 31a and the second extraction unit 31b.

[0018] The first collection box 51, the second collection box 52, and the first waste box 53 are installed along the side of the belt conveyor 40. The first collection box 51 is installed within the movable range of the first extraction unit 31a in the X-axis direction, and the second collection box 52 is installed within the movable range of the second extraction unit 31b in the X-axis direction. The first waste box 53 is installed within the movable range of the first extraction unit 31a and the second extraction unit 31b in the X-axis direction. The second waste box 54 is arranged at the end of the belt conveyor 40 in the X-axis direction, and waste that remains on the belt conveyor 40 and is not placed into the first collection box 51, the second collection box 52, or the first waste box 53, among the waste group being transported in the transport direction CD, is placed from the belt conveyor 40 into the second waste box 54.

[0019] <Configuration of the control device and sorting device> FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a control device and a sorting device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 2, the control device 10 includes an image processing unit 11, a presence / absence determination unit 15, a learned model storage unit 16, and a sorting device control unit 17. The image processing unit 11 includes an image recognition unit 12, an area centroid calculation unit 13, and a space determination unit 14. The sorting device 30 includes a first extraction unit 31a and a second extraction unit 31b. The first extraction unit 31a includes a first measurement unit 61a, and the second extraction unit 31b includes a second measurement unit 61b. Waste group images captured by the camera 20 are input to the image processing unit 11. The first measurement unit 61a measures the weight of the desired bottle extracted by the first extraction unit 31a, and the second measurement unit 61b measures the weight of the desired bottle extracted by the second extraction unit 31b. Hereinafter, the first extraction unit 31a and the second extraction unit 31b may be collectively referred to as "extraction unit 31", and the first measurement unit 61a and the second measurement unit 61b may be collectively referred to as "measurement unit 61".

[0020] <Configuration of extraction unit> 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of the extraction unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the extraction unit 31 is formed using a suction pad 311. The sorting device 30, under the control of the sorting device control unit 17, uses the extraction unit 31 to extract a desired bottle from the waste mass transported on the belt conveyor 40 for sorting. The extraction unit 31 is movable in the ±X, ±Y, and ±Z directions. The extraction unit 31 lifts the bottle extracted from the waste mass in the +Z direction and moves it in the ±X and ±Y directions to transport it to the first collection box 51, the second collection box 52, or the first disposal box 53. The first extraction unit 31a places the desired bottle extracted from the waste mass into either the first collection box 51 or the first disposal box 53, and the second extraction unit 31b places the desired bottle extracted from the waste mass into either the second collection box 52 or the first disposal box 53. In addition, the second extraction unit 31b is positioned downstream of the first extraction unit 31a in the conveying direction CD, and extracts other desired bottles from the waste mass being transported on the belt conveyor 40 after the desired bottle has been extracted by the first extraction unit 31a.

[0021] 3, for example, a strain sensor 611 is installed on the support 312 of the extraction unit 31. The greater the weight (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "bottle weight") of the bottle extracted from the waste mass by the suction pad 311 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "extracted bottle"), the greater the extension amount of the support 312 in the Z-axis direction (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "support extension amount"), so the strain sensor 611 measures the weight of the extracted bottle by detecting the support extension amount. The strain sensor 611 is an example of the measurement unit 61.

[0022] 4, strain sensors 612a, 612b, 612c, and 612d are attached to the arm 313 of the extraction unit 31. The amount of deformation of the arm 313 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "arm deformation amount") changes depending on the weight of the extracted bottle, so the strain sensors 612a, 612b, 612c, and 612d measure the weight of the extracted bottle by detecting the amount of arm deformation. The strain sensors 612a, 612b, 612c, and 612d are an example of the measurement unit 61.

[0023] <Operations of the image recognition unit and area center of gravity calculation unit> FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the image recognition unit and the area center of gravity calculation unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] The image recognition unit 12 recognizes the area and type of bottles contained in the waste group by image recognition based on the waste group image. Hereinafter, the area of ​​bottles recognized by the image recognition unit 12 may be referred to as the "bottle area," and the type of bottle recognized by the image recognition unit 12 may be referred to as the "bottle type." The image recognition unit 12 recognizes the bottle area and bottle type using a trained model stored in the trained model storage unit 16. The image recognition unit 12 assigns the bottle area and bottle type to an image of a bottle present in the waste group image (hereinafter may be referred to as a "bottle image") as information indicating the characteristics of the bottle (hereinafter may be referred to as "characteristic information").

[0025] For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the image recognition unit 12 assigns feature information to a bottle image BI, including label information LA indicating the bottle type and contour information CO indicating the bottle region. The bottle types are, for example, classified into small energy drink bottles, medium energy drink bottles, large energy drink bottles, wine bottles, champagne bottles, and other bottles. Of the bottles included in the waste group, small energy drink bottles, medium energy drink bottles, large energy drink bottles, wine bottles, and champagne bottles are desired bottles, and the other bottles are undesired bottles. Furthermore, with the long side of the rectangular waste group image as the X-axis and the short side as the Y-axis, the contour information CO is formed by multiple coordinate points (x0, y0), (x1, y1), ..., (xn, yn). In other words, the area surrounded by lines connecting the multiple coordinate points (x0, y0), (x1, y1), ..., (xn, yn) that form the contour information CO is the bottle region.

[0026] Furthermore, the area centroid calculation unit 13 calculates the coordinates of the area centroid of the bottle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "area centroid coordinates"). The area centroid calculation unit 13 calculates the coordinates of the center of gravity of the bottle region recognized by the image recognition unit 12 as the area centroid coordinates. The area centroid calculation unit 13 calculates the area centroid coordinates AC(Xa,Ya) of the bottle region based on the contour information CO. The area centroid calculation unit 13 sets the area centroid coordinates as coordinates indicating the extraction point when the extraction unit 31 extracts the bottle (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "extraction point coordinates"), and outputs the set extraction point coordinates to the sorting device control unit 17.

[0027] Because the calculation of the area centroid coordinates is performed based on the waste group image, the extraction point coordinates set by the area centroid calculation unit 13 are coordinates in the coordinate system of the waste group image, i.e., the coordinate system of the camera 20 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "camera coordinate system"). Therefore, the sorting device control unit 17 converts the extraction point coordinates in the camera coordinate system set by the area centroid calculation unit 13 into extraction point coordinates in the coordinate system of the sorting device 30. The sorting device control unit 17 outputs a control signal including the converted extraction point coordinates to the sorting device 30. In addition, the sorting device control unit 17 causes the second extraction unit 31b to extract bottles that cannot be extracted by the first extraction unit 31a.

[0028] The sorting device 30 moves the extraction unit 31 directly above the extraction point coordinates indicated in the control signal, and the extraction unit 31 uses the extraction point coordinates as the extraction point to extract the desired bottle from the waste material being transported on the belt conveyor 40. If the extraction unit 31 is formed using a suction pad 311, the extraction unit 31 sets the extraction point on the bottle as the suction position of the suction pad 311 for the bottle and extracts the bottle by suction of the suction pad 311.

[0029] <Operation of the space determination unit> 6, 7, and 8 are diagrams illustrating an example of the operation of the space determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] The waste group image I1 shown in FIG. 6 includes bottle images BI11, BI12, BI13, BI14, and BI15. Bottle image BI11 is an image of a desired bottle, and bottle images BI12, BI13, BI14, and BI15 are images of undesired bottles. The space determination unit 14 sets bounding boxes BB11, BB12, BB13, BB14, and BB15 for the bottle images BI11, BI12, BI13, BI14, and BI15, respectively. In addition, the space determination unit 14 detects the size of the bounding box BB11 by detecting the lengths of the long and short sides of the bounding box BB11 set for the bottle image BI11 among the bounding boxes BB11, BB12, BB13, BB14, and BB15. Because bottle B11, the subject of bottle image BI11, is a desired bottle, bottle B11 is extracted from the waste group by the first extraction unit 31a or the second extraction unit 31b.

[0031] The waste group image I2a shown in FIG. 7 is a waste group image captured after the waste group image I1 (FIG. 6) was captured. The waste group image I2a shown in FIG. 7 includes bottle images BI21, BI22, BI23, BI24, and BI25. The space determination unit 14 sets bounding boxes BB21, BB22, BB23, BB24, and BB25 for the bottle images BI21, BI22, BI23, BI24, and BI25, respectively. Furthermore, the space determination unit 14 determines whether or not there is a space (hereinafter sometimes referred to as an "empty space") between the waste groups on the belt conveyor to which the extracted bottles can be returned, based on the waste group image I2a. For example, the space determination unit 14 calculates the mutual distances between adjacent sides of the bounding boxes BB21, BB22, BB23, BB24, and BB25 and the waste group image I2a, thereby detecting the largest rectangular space (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a "maximum space") in which no bounding box exists. The maximum space in the waste group image I2a is the space MSa. The space determination unit 14 also determines whether or not a bounding box BB11 (FIG. 6) fits within the detected maximum space MSa. If the bounding box BB11 fits within the detected maximum space MSa, the space determination unit 14 determines that there is free space for the bottle B11 that is the subject of the bottle image BI11. If the bounding box BB11 does not fit within the detected maximum space MSa, the space determination unit 14 determines that there is no free space for the bottle B11 that is the subject of the bottle image BI11. Because the bounding box BB11 (FIG. 6) fits within the maximum space MSa shown in FIG. 7, when the waste group image I2a is captured by the camera 20, the space determination unit 14 determines that there is free space.

[0032] Furthermore, the waste group image I2b shown in FIG. 8 is another waste group image captured after the waste group image I1 (FIG. 6) was captured. The waste group image I2b shown in FIG. 8 includes bottle images BI31, BI32, BI33, BI34, BI35, and BI36. The space determination unit 14 sets bounding boxes BB31, BB32, BB33, BB34, BB35, and BB36 for each of the bottle images BI31, BI32, BI33, BI34, BI35, and BI36. The space determination unit 14 also determines whether or not there is free space based on the waste group image I2b. For example, the space determination unit 14 detects the maximum space by calculating the mutual distance between adjacent sides of the bounding boxes BB31, BB32, BB33, BB34, BB35, and BB36 and the waste group image I2b. The maximum space in the waste group image I2b is space MSb. Furthermore, the space determination unit 14 determines whether or not a bounding box BB11 (FIG. 6) fits within the detected maximum space MSb. If the bounding box BB11 fits within the detected maximum space MSb, the space determination unit 14 determines that there is free space for the bottle B11 that is the subject of the bottle image BI11, and if the bounding box BB11 does not fit within the detected maximum space MSb, it determines that there is no free space for the bottle B11 that is the subject of the bottle image BI11. Because the bounding box BB11 (FIG. 6) does not fit within the maximum space MSb shown in FIG. 8, when the waste group image I2b is captured by the camera 20, the space determination unit 14 determines that there is no free space.

[0033] <Operation of the presence / absence determination unit> 9 is a diagram showing an example of a presence / absence determination table according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. The presence / absence determination unit 15 has the presence / absence determination table TA1 shown in FIG. 9. The presence / absence determination table TA1 has a correspondence between bottle types and threshold values ​​THA [g] set in advance. The presence / absence determination unit 15 determines whether the extracted bottle is an object-containing bottle (i.e., whether an object is present in the extracted bottle) based on the bottle type recognized by the image recognition unit 12 and the bottle weight measured by the measurement unit 61.

[0034] For example, using the presence / absence determination table TA1, when the bottle type of the extracted bottle is a "small nutritional drink bottle," the presence determination unit 15 determines that the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle if the bottle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value THA of 74 [g], and determines that the extracted bottle is not an object-present bottle (i.e., no object is present in the extracted bottle) if the bottle weight is less than the threshold value THA of 74 [g]. Also, for example, using the presence / absence determination table TA1, when the bottle type of the extracted bottle is a "medium-sized nutritional drink bottle," the presence determination unit 15 determines that the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle if the bottle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value THA of 102 [g], and determines that the extracted bottle is not an object-present bottle if the bottle weight is less than the threshold value THA of 102 [g]. Further, for example, the presence / absence determination unit 15 uses the presence / absence determination table TA1 to determine that the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle when the bottle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value THA of 144 [g] and to determine that the extracted bottle is not an object-present bottle when the bottle weight is less than the threshold value THA of 144 [g]. Further, for example, the presence / absence determination unit 15 uses the presence / absence determination table TA1 to determine that the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle when the bottle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value THA of 400 [g] and to determine that the extracted bottle is not an object-present bottle when the bottle weight is less than the threshold value THA of 400 [g]. For example, the presence / absence determination unit 15 uses the presence / absence determination table TA1 to determine that when the bottle type of the extracted bottle is a "champagne bottle," the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle if the bottle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value THA of 590 [g], and determines that the extracted bottle is not an object-present bottle if the bottle weight is less than the threshold value THA of 590 [g].

[0035] Here, when setting the threshold value THA in the presence / absence determination table TA1, it was assumed that, for example, the weight of an empty small energy drink bottle is less than 70 [g], the weight of an empty medium-sized energy drink bottle is less than 98 [g], the weight of an empty large energy drink bottle is less than 140 [g], the weight of an empty wine bottle is less than 380 [g], and the weight of an empty champagne bottle is less than 570 [g].

[0036] <Operation of the sorting device control unit> The sorting device control unit 17 controls whether or not to cause the extraction unit 31 to perform an operation of returning the extracted bottle to the belt conveyor 40, based on whether or not the extracted bottle is an object-containing bottle.

[0037] For example, when the presence / absence determination unit 15 determines that the extracted bottle is not an object-containing bottle (i.e., no object is present in the extracted bottle), the sorting device control unit 17 causes the extraction unit 31 to perform an operation of placing the extracted bottle into the first collection box 51 or the second collection box 52. The sorting device control unit 17 causes the first extraction unit 31a to perform an operation of placing the extracted bottle into the first collection box 51, and causes the second extraction unit 31b to perform an operation of placing the extracted bottle into the second collection box 52.

[0038] On the other hand, when the presence / absence determination unit 15 determines that the extracted bottle is an object-containing bottle (i.e., an object is present in the extracted bottle), the sorting device control unit 17 causes the extraction unit 31 to return the extracted bottle to the belt conveyor 40.

[0039] Here, because the second extraction unit 31b is disposed downstream of the first extraction unit 31a in the conveying direction CD, if the first extraction unit 31a returns the extracted bottle onto the belt conveyor 40 even though there is no free space on the belt conveyor 40, the extracted bottle returned onto the belt conveyor 40 may cause the position of the desired bottle to be extracted by the second extraction unit 31b to deviate from the position of the desired bottle in the waste group image captured by the camera 20. If the position of the desired bottle to be extracted by the second extraction unit 31b deviates from the position of the desired bottle in the waste group image captured by the camera 20, it becomes difficult for the second extraction unit 31b to extract the desired bottle. Therefore, when the space determination unit 14 determines that free space exists, the sorting device control unit 17 causes the first extraction unit 31a to return the extracted bottle to the free space. The desired bottle returned to the free space by the first extraction unit 31a is transported by the belt conveyor 40 and placed in the second waste bin 54. On the other hand, when the space determination unit 14 determines that there is no free space, the sorting device control unit 17 does not cause the first extraction unit 31a to return the extracted bottle onto the belt conveyor 40, but instead causes the first extraction unit 31a to place the extracted bottle into the first waste box 53. By having the first extraction unit 31a place the extracted bottle into the first waste box 53 when there is no free space, it is possible to prevent the position of the desired bottle to be extracted by the second extraction unit 31b from shifting from the position of the desired bottle in the waste group image captured by the camera 20.

[0040] Furthermore, since there is no extraction unit that extracts the desired bottle downstream of the second extraction unit 31b in the conveying direction CD, the sorting device control unit 17 causes the second extraction unit 31b to return the extracted bottle onto the belt conveyor 40 regardless of whether there is free space or not (i.e., regardless of whether there is free space or not).

[0041] The first embodiment has been described above.

[0042] [Example 2] <Configuration of the control device and sorting device> FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a control device and a sorting device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 10, the control device 10 includes an image processing unit 11, a presence / absence determination unit 15, a learned model storage unit 16, and a sorting device control unit 17. The image processing unit 11 includes an image recognition unit 12, an area centroid calculation unit 13, a space determination unit 14, and a cross-sectional area calculation unit 18. The sorting device 30 includes a first extraction unit 31a and a second extraction unit 31b. The first extraction unit 31a includes a first measurement unit 61a, and the second extraction unit 31b includes a second measurement unit 61b.

[0043] Generally, the larger the cross-sectional area of ​​a bottle, the heavier the bottle. Therefore, the cross-sectional area calculation unit 18 calculates the cross-sectional area of ​​the desired bottle (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "bottle cross-sectional area") based on the bottle area recognized by the image recognition unit 12. For example, the cross-sectional area calculation unit 18 calculates the bottle cross-sectional area by multiplying the area of ​​the bottle area by a predetermined coefficient according to the image size of the waste group image.

[0044] <Operation of the presence / absence determination unit> FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the presence / absence determining unit according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] The presence / absence determination unit 15 determines whether the extracted bottle is an object-containing bottle (i.e., whether an object is present in the extracted bottle) based on the bottle cross-sectional area calculated by the cross-sectional area calculation unit 18 and the bottle weight measured by the measurement unit 61.

[0046] For example, the presence / absence determining unit 15 may determine the bottle cross-sectional area [cm 2 ] and the threshold THB [g], and calculates the threshold THB according to this graph. For example, when the bottle cross-sectional area is 100 [cm 2 ], the threshold THB is calculated as 350 [g].

[0047] Then, the presence / absence determination unit 15 determines that the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle when the bottle weight is equal to or greater than the threshold value THB, and determines that the extracted bottle is not an object-present bottle (i.e., no object is present in the extracted bottle) when the bottle weight is less than the threshold value THB.

[0048] Here, when setting the graph of the linear function shown in FIG. 11, for example, if the cross-sectional area of ​​the bottle is 100 [cm 2 ] was assumed to weigh 300[g].

[0049] The second embodiment has been described above.

[0050] [Example 3] <Container sorting system configuration> Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a container sorting system according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The container sorting system 2 according to the third embodiment differs from the container sorting system 1 according to the first embodiment in that it does not have a first waste box 53 and that the belt conveyor 40 has three areas: a first area R1a, a second area R2, and a third area R1b. For ease of understanding, Fig. 12 does not show the control device 10, the camera 20, and the sorting device 30 that the container sorting system 2 has.

[0051] <Configuration of the control device and sorting device> FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example configuration of a control device and a sorting device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. In FIG. 13, the control device 10 includes an image processing unit 11, a presence / absence determination unit 15, a learned model storage unit 16, and a sorting device control unit 17. The image processing unit 11 includes an image recognition unit 12 and an area centroid calculation unit 13, but does not include a space determination unit 14 (FIG. 2). The sorting device 30 includes a first extraction unit 31a and a second extraction unit 31b. The first extraction unit 31a includes a first measurement unit 61a, and the second extraction unit 31b includes a second measurement unit 61b.

[0052] Here, in the belt conveyor 40, the first region R1a is a predetermined region at one end of the belt conveyor 40 in the Y-axis direction, and the third region R1b is a predetermined region at the other end of the belt conveyor 40 in the Y-axis direction. Hereinafter, the first region R1a and the third region R1b may be collectively referred to as "end regions." On the other hand, the second region R2 is a region other than the end region in the Y-axis direction of the belt conveyor 40. The second region R2 is preset as a region where waste groups can be placed, while the end region is preset as a region where waste groups are prohibited from being placed. Therefore, there is always free space in the end region.

[0053] Therefore, when the presence / absence determining unit 15 determines that the extracted bottle is an object-containing bottle, the sorting device control unit 17 causes the extraction unit 31 to return the extracted bottle to the end area of ​​the belt conveyor 40.

[0054] The third embodiment has been described above.

[0055] [Example 4] If the object contained in the desired bottle is a liquid, the liquid may shake when the desired bottle is extracted from the waste material, which may result in a large error in the bottle weight measured by the measuring unit 61.

[0056] Therefore, the measuring unit 61 measures the weight of the desired bottle extracted by the extracting unit 31 multiple times. The measuring unit 61 also determines the average value of the bottle weights measured multiple times (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the "average bottle weight value") as the final bottle weight.

[0057] The sorting device control unit 17 controls whether or not to cause the extraction unit 31 to return the extracted bottles to the belt conveyor 40 based on the average bottle weight value.

[0058] Furthermore, when the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the bottle weights measured multiple times is equal to or greater than the threshold value THC, the sorting device control unit 17 does not cause the extraction unit 31 to return the extracted bottle to the belt conveyor 40, but causes the extraction unit 31 to place the extracted bottle into the first waste box 53. This allows the sorter to confirm whether the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle when it is difficult for the control device 10 to determine whether the extracted bottle is an object-present bottle due to a large error in the bottle weight measured by the measurement unit 61.

[0059] The fourth embodiment has been described above.

[0060] [Example 5] If the desired bottle has a cap, there is a high possibility that liquid is present in the desired bottle. Therefore, when the image recognition unit 12 detects that the desired bottle has a cap, the measurement unit 61 increases the number of times to measure the bottle weight compared to when the desired bottle does not have a cap. For example, the measurement unit 61 measures the weight of the desired bottle without a cap five times and determines the average of the five weight measurements as the final bottle weight, whereas the measurement unit 61 measures the weight of the desired bottle with a cap ten times and determines the average of the ten weight measurements as the final bottle weight.

[0061] The fifth embodiment has been described above.

[0062] [Example 6] The trained model storage unit 16 is realized as hardware, for example, by a memory or storage. The image processing unit 11, the presence / absence determination unit 15, and the sorting device control unit 17 are realized as hardware, for example, by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0063] Furthermore, all or part of the processes described above in the image processing unit 11, the presence / absence determining unit 15, and the sorting device control unit 17 may be realized by having a processor execute a program corresponding to each process. For example, a program corresponding to each process described above may be stored in a memory included in the control device 10, and the program may be read from the memory and executed by the processor. Alternatively, the program may be stored in a program server connected to the control device 10 via any network, downloaded from the program server to the control device 10, and executed therein, or stored in a recording medium readable by the control device 10, read from the recording medium, and executed therein. Examples of recording media readable by the control device 10 include portable storage media such as memory cards, USB memories, SD cards, flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, and DVDs.

[0064] The sixth embodiment has been described above.

[0065] In Examples 1 to 6, the sorting device 30 has been described as having two extraction units, the first extraction unit 31a and the second extraction unit 31b, as an example. However, the disclosed technology is also applicable to a container sorting system in which the sorting device 30 has a single extraction unit. Furthermore, the disclosed technology is also applicable to a container sorting system in which the sorting device 30 has three or more extraction units.

[0066] As described above, the container sorting system (container sorting systems 1 and 2 of the embodiments) of the present disclosure includes a camera (camera 20 of the embodiments), a recognition unit (image recognition unit 12 of the embodiments), a first extraction unit (first extraction unit 31a of the embodiments), a first determination unit (presence determination unit 15 of the embodiments), and a control unit (sorting device control unit 17 of the embodiments). The camera captures images of the waste mass on the conveying path (belt conveyor 40 of the embodiments) along which the waste mass is transported. The recognition unit recognizes a desired container contained in the waste mass based on the image captured by the camera. The first extraction unit extracts a desired container from the waste mass being transported along the conveying path. The first determination unit determines whether an object is present in the extracted container, which is the desired container that has been extracted. The control unit controls whether to cause the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the conveying path based on whether an object is present in the extracted container.

[0067] This makes it possible to avoid collecting containers that are not eligible for recycling, such as containers that contain liquids or other substances.

[0068] For example, the container sorting system of the present disclosure includes a measurement unit (first measurement unit 61a in the embodiment) that measures the weight of the extracted container. The recognition unit recognizes the type of the desired container based on an image captured by a camera. The first determination unit determines that an object is present in the extracted container when the measured weight is equal to or greater than a threshold value corresponding to the recognized type.

[0069] For example, the container sorting system of the present disclosure includes a calculation unit (cross-sectional area calculation unit 18 in the embodiment), and the recognition unit recognizes the area where the desired container exists. The calculation unit calculates the cross-sectional area of ​​the desired container based on the recognized area. The first determination unit determines that an object exists in the extracted container when the measured weight is equal to or greater than a threshold corresponding to the calculated cross-sectional area.

[0070] Furthermore, for example, when it is determined that an object is present in the extracted container, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to perform an operation of returning the extracted container to the transport path.

[0071] Furthermore, for example, when it is determined that an object is present in the extracted container, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to perform an operation of returning the extracted container to a predetermined area at the end of the transport path.

[0072] Furthermore, for example, the container sorting system of the present disclosure has a second determination unit (space determination unit 14 in the embodiment). The second determination unit determines whether there is an empty space between the waste masses to which the extracted container can be returned, based on an image of the waste mass taken by the camera after the first extraction unit has extracted the desired container. When it is determined that there is an empty space, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to perform an operation to return the extracted container to the empty space.

[0073] Furthermore, for example, the container sorting system of the present disclosure includes a second extraction unit (second extraction unit 31b in the embodiment). The second extraction unit is disposed downstream of the first extraction unit on the conveying path, and after the first extraction unit has extracted a desired container, extracts another desired container from the waste mass being conveyed along the conveying path. When it is determined that there is an empty space and the second extraction unit is disposed, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the empty space.

[0074] For example, when the control unit determines that there is no available space, it does not cause the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the conveying path, but instead causes the first extraction unit to place the extracted container into a specified box (first disposal box 53 in the embodiment).

[0075] Also, for example, if the second extraction unit is not positioned downstream of the first extraction unit on the conveying path, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the conveying path regardless of whether there is free space.

[0076] Further, for example, the measurement unit measures the weight of the extracted container multiple times, and when a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value of the multiple measured weights is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to place the extracted container into a predetermined box without causing the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the conveying path. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1,2 Container sorting system 10 Control device 11 Image processing section 12 Image Recognition Unit 13 Area center of gravity calculation part 14 Space determination section 15 Presence / absence determination section 16 Trained model memory 17 Sorting device control section 18 Cross-sectional area calculation section 20 Camera 30 Sorting equipment 31a First extraction part 31b Second extraction part 61a First measurement section 61b Second measuring section

Claims

1. a camera that captures images of the waste materials along a transport path; a recognition unit that recognizes a desired container included in the waste group based on the image; a first extraction unit that extracts the desired container from the waste material transported along the transport path; a first determination unit that determines whether an object exists in an extracted container that is the extracted desired container; a control unit that controls whether to cause the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the transport path based on whether the object exists in the extracted container; A container sorting system comprising:

2. A measuring unit for measuring the weight of the extracted container is further provided. The recognition unit recognizes the type of the desired container based on the image, The first determination unit determines that the object is present in the extracted container when the measured weight is equal to or greater than a threshold value corresponding to the recognized type. The container sorting system according to claim 1 .

3. The recognition unit recognizes a location area of ​​the desired container, a calculation unit that calculates a cross-sectional area of ​​the desired container based on the recognized existence region; A measuring unit that measures the weight of the extracted container; Further comprising: The first determination unit determines that the object is present in the extraction container when the measured weight is equal to or greater than a threshold value corresponding to the cross-sectional area. The container sorting system according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit causes the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the transport path when it is determined that the object is present in the extracted container. The container sorting system according to claim 1 .

5. When it is determined that the object is present in the extracted container, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to perform an operation of returning the extracted container to a predetermined area at an end of the transport path. The container sorting system according to claim 1 .

6. and a second determination unit that determines whether or not there is an empty space between the waste groups to which the extracted container can be returned, based on an image of the waste group taken by the camera after the first extraction unit has extracted the desired container. When it is determined that the empty space exists, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to perform an operation of returning the extracted container to the empty space. The container sorting system according to claim 1 .

7. When it is determined that the empty space exists and a second extraction unit that extracts another desired container from the waste material transported on the transport path after the first extraction unit has extracted the desired container is located downstream of the first extraction unit on the transport path, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the empty space. The container sorting system according to claim 6.

8. When it is determined that there is no free space, the control unit does not cause the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the transport path, but causes the first extraction unit to place the extracted container into a predetermined box. The container sorting system according to claim 6.

9. When a second extraction unit that extracts another desired container from the waste material transported along the transport path after the first extraction unit has extracted the desired container is not located downstream of the first extraction unit on the transport path, the control unit causes the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the transport path regardless of whether there is an empty space. The container sorting system according to claim 6.

10. The measuring unit measures the weight multiple times, When a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value among the weights measured multiple times is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control unit does not cause the first extraction unit to return the extracted container to the conveying path, but causes the first extraction unit to place the extracted container into a predetermined box. The container sorting system according to claim 2 .

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