System and method for stacking a plurality of objects

Abstract

A compact system and method for handling and grading horticultural produce is provided. The system 100 includes an input block 102 that receives the horticultural produce, a washing block 104 that washes the horticultural produce, a drying block 106 that dries the horticultural produce, a brushing block 108 that brushes and polishes the horticultural produce, and a grading block 110 that (i) rearranges the horticultural produce into a queue, (ii) rolls and moves the horticultural produce into a visual inspection unit 118 for inspection using one or more rotary rollers 116A-N, (iii) transfers the horticultural produce to one or more cups 120A- N, (iv) determines a weight of the horticultural produce using a weighing unit 112, and (v) ejects the horticultural produce to an output block 112 including one or more collection units, to effectively handle and grade the horticultural produce in a space-constrained environment with improved efficiency, and productivity.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR STACKING A PLURALITY OF OBJECTSBACKGROUNDTechnical Field

[0001] The embodiments herein gradually relate to grading, and more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for stacking and inspecting a plurality of objects for determining an attribute of the plurality of objects.Description of the Related Art

[0002] Modern agricultural practices mostly rely on efficient methods of harvesting, processing, storing and distributing horticultural produce to meet the growing global demand for fresh and high-quality fruits and vegetables. The development of agricultural machinery and technology has significantly improved productivity. Handling and Grading the horticultural produce facilities play a pivotal role in the agricultural supply chain, ensuring the efficient processing and distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to consumers worldwide. However, the handling and grading of the horticultural produce requires a lot of space for accommodating machineries and equipment.

[0003] Traditional horticultural handling machinery often occupy substantial footprints, in need of extensive floor space that comes to about 50 feet and longer. Further, in an attempt to cope with limited space, solution providers reduce the features or functionalities of machinery and fail to address all the needs of the machinery, which may lead to decreased efficiency, reduced horticulture produce quality, and limited flexibility in adapting to changing market demands. And, handling the horticultural produce may at a risk of damage during transportation and processing. The fragility of fruits and vegetables may provide some marks or crushes, or other forms of physical damage when moved along conveyor systems.Minimizing such damage is essential to preserve the visual appeal and shelf life of the produce. Accurate and comprehensive imaging of individual horticultural items is crucial for quality assessment and grading. Incomplete or inconsistent imaging can lead to errors in identifying defects, size, and ripeness, compromising the overall grading accuracy and quality assurance. The produce also need to be weighed accurately to account for business and grade according to weiging.

[0004] Thus, there remains a need for a compact system and method for handling and grading horticultural produce in space- constrained environment with improved efficiency, and productivity.SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the foregoing, an embodiment herein provides a system for stacking and inspecting a plurality of objects for determining an attribute of the plurality of objects. The system includes the singulator unit that is configured to receive the plurality of objects. The singulator unit comprises a first surface and a second surface that are configured to rotate at a different pre-determined speed. The singulator unit is configured to arrange the plurality of objects in a sequential order by enabling an object to move ahead in the sequential order when that object makes contacts with any of the first surface or the second surface that rotates at a higher speed than the other. The system includes a plurality of rotary rollers that is coupled to the singulator unit. The plurality of rotary rollers rotates around an axis in clockwise or anticlockwise direction to enable the sequentially arranged plurality of objects to roll. The plurality of rotary rollers rotates around the singulator unit to move the sequentially arranged plurality of objects. The system includes a visual inspection unit that is coupled to the plurality of rotaryrollers. The visual inspection unit is configured to (i) capture plurality of images of the plurality of objects received from the plurality of rotary rollers by rolling and tilting the plurality of objects in all directions, and (ii) determine an attribute comprising of at least one of a colour or a size by analysing the plurality of images using an image processing technique.

[0006] In some embodiments, when an object makes contacts with any of the first surface or the second surface that is rotating slower than the other, that object is positioned behind in the sequential order.

[0007] In some embodiments, the plurality of rotary rollers is configured to roll on a surface with varying height by pivoting on an axis of an outer end of the plurality of rotary rollers, which enables any of (i) lowering a rolling surface height of the one or more rotary rollers to move the plurality of objects radially inward, or (ii) increasing the rolling surface height of the one or more rotary rollers to move the plurality of objects radially outward, to plurality of cups. The rolling surface height is above the plurality of cups.

[0008] In some embodiments, the system includes an input block that is configured to receive and store the plurality of objects. The system includes a washing block that is coupled to the input block through any of the plain inclined conveyor belt, or step inclined conveyor belt, that enables the plurality of objects from the input block to move to the washing block. The washing block is configured to wash the plurality of objects using washing mechanism. The system includes a drying block that is coupled to the washing block is configured to dry the washed plurality of objects. The system includes a brushing block that is coupled to the drying block is configured to brush the plurality of objects and stack the plurality of objects vertically and radially.

[0009] In some embodiments, the system includes weighing unit that is coupled to theplurality of cups determines the weight of the plurality of objects. The system includes an ejecting unit that is coupled to the weighing unit ejects the plurality of objects from the plurality of cups to an output block based on pre-determined criteria. The system includes the output block that is coupled to the ejecting unit comprises of one or more collection units to collect the plurality of objects, wherein the collection location is user configurable.

[0010] In some embodiments, the system comprises the input block, the washing block, the drying block, the brushing block, a grading block, and the output block are stacked vertically or horizontally in the system, enabling a circular placement.

[0011] In another embodiments, a method of stacking the plurality of objects for determining the attribute of the plurality of objects is provided. The method includes receiving the plurality of objects by the singulator unit. The method includes rotating the first surface and the second surface of the singulator unit at a different pre-determined speed. The method includes measuring voltage through the four sets of electrodes using a bioimpedance measurement unit when passing a weak electric current to the chest through the first current injecting electrode and the second current injecting electrode. The method includes arranging the plurality of objects in the sequential order by enabling an object to move ahead in the sequential order when that object makes contact with any of the first surface or the second surface that is rotating at a higher speed than the other. The method includes rotating the plurality of rotary rollers that are coupled to the singulator unit around an axis in clock wise or anti-clock wise direction to enable rolling of the sequentially arranged plurality of objects. The method includes rotating the plurality of rotary rollers around the singulator unit to enable moving of the sequentially arranged plurality of objects. The method includes capturing the plurality of images by rolling and tilting the plurality of objects in all directions and analysingthe plurality of images using image processing technique. The method includes determining the attribute comprising at least one of a colour or a size of the plurality of objects by the visual inspection unit.

[0012] The system provides an automated and efficient solution for sequentially arranging, inspecting, grading, and handling a plurality of objects. The singulator unit ensures smooth separation and alignment of objects by using surfaces rotating at different speeds, thereby reducing jamming and improving flow consistency. The rotary rollers further enable complete rolling and tilting motion, allowing the visual inspection unit to capture images from all directions for accurate determination of attributes such as colour and size. In addition, the integration of washing, drying, brushing, weighing, and ejecting units within a single circular or vertically stacked arrangement optimizes space utilization and enhances throughput, resulting in reduced manual intervention and improved overall operational efficiencyBRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following detailed descriptions with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates a system for stacking and inspecting a plurality of objects for determining an attribute of the plurality of objects according to some embodiments herein;

[0015] FIGS. 2A-2H illustrate exemplary views of the system 100 of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments herein; and

[0016] FIG. 3 A is an exemplary illustration of a user wearing a wearable bioimpedance device according to some embodiments herein.DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein.

[0018] As mentioned, there remains a need for an automated and compact system that can efficiently handle, arrange, and inspect a plurality of objects with minimal manual intervention. Conventional inspection and grading systems often face challenges such as object overlapping, inconsistent orientation, and limited visibility during inspection, leading to inaccurate attribute determination. The embodiments herein address these challenges by providing a method and system for stacking and inspecting a plurality of objects in a sequential manner. The system utilizes a singulator unit having surfaces rotating at different speeds to separate and align objects, and a plurality of rotary rollers that roll and tilt the objects to expose all surfaces for inspection. A visual inspection unit captures multiple images of the objects and determines one or more attributes, such as colour or size, using image processing techniques. The integrated arrangement of washing, drying, brushing, weighing, and ejecting units further enhances automation and throughput while maintaining compactness and operational efficiency.

[0019] Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIGS. 1 through 7A-B, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown preferred embodiments.

[0020] FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system 100 for handling and grading horticultural produce according to some embodiments herein. The system 100 includes an input block 102, a washing block 104, a drying block 106, a brushing block 108, a grading block 110, and an output block 112. The input block 102 is configured to receive the horticultural produce. The input block 102 may receive one or more horticultural produce. The input block 102 may be a storage unit to store the horticultural produce. In some embodiments, the horticultural produce can be fruits, vegetables, berries, or roots. The input block 102 may be in a bottom portion of the system 100. The washing block 104 is configured to receive the horticultural produce from the input block 102 and wash the horticultural produce. The washing block 104 may be above the input block 102. The input block 102 and the washing block 104 may be connected with any of a plain inclined conveyor belt, or step inclined conveyor belt, which enables the horticultural produce from the input block 102 to move to the washing block 104. The washing block 104 may include washing mechanisms to wash the horticultural produce. In some embodiments, the washing mechanisms include (i) submerging the horticultural produce in water, or (ii) spraying high-pressure water to rinse the horticultural produce. In some embodiments, the washed horticultural produce can be rinsed with clean water.

[0021] The drying block 106 is configured to receive and dry the washed horticultural produce. In some embodiments, the drying block 106 includes an air drying system or liquid absorbent materials to dry the washed horticultural produce. The drying block 106 may be above the washing block 104, where the horticultural produce moves from the washing block 104 to the drying block 106 through any of the plain inclined conveyor belt, or the step inclined conveyorbelt or other conveying mechanism like roller conveyor. The brushing block 108 is configured to brush the horticultural produce and stack vertically and radially. In some embodiments, the brushing block 108 is configured to brush and polish the horticultural produce. The brushed and polished horticultural produce is moved to the grading block 110. The grading block 110 may include a storage unit to store all the brushed and polished horticultural produce. In some embodiments, the grading block 110 includes a hopper for receiving the brushed and polished horticultural produce.

[0022] The grading block 110 includes a singulator unit 114, one or more rotary rollers 116A-N, a visual inspection unit 118, one or more cups 120A-N, a weighing unit 122, and an ejecting unit 124. The singulator unit 114 is configured to arrange all the horticultural produce in order of one by one like a queue, to provide to the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N. The singulator unit 114 includes a first surface and a second surface, which are rotating at two different speeds. In some embodiments, the first surface can rotate faster, and the second surface can rotate slower, or vice versa. The horticultural produce makes contact with any of the first surface or the second surface. If the horticultural produce makes contact with a faster rotating surface, the horticultural produce moves ahead in the queue to move into the one or more rotary rollers 116A- N. If the horticultural produce makes contact with a slower rotating surface, the horticultural produce will behind in position in the queue. For example, if the first surface is the faster rotating surface, and the second surface is the slower rotating surface, when the horticultural produce makes contact with the first surface, the horticultural produce moves into the queue, and when the horticultural produce makes contact with the second surface, the horticultural produce will be in the same position.

[0023] The singulator unit 114 rearranges all the horticultural produce into the queue,when each of the horticultural produce makes contact with both the first surface and the second surface, and moves into the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N at a medium speed. In some embodiments, the first surface and the second surface are frustums, which the first surface is driven by a motor for rotation, and the second surface is stationary in motion. The second surface which is stationary in motion may be modified to rotate at a different pre-determined speed.

[0024] The one or more rotary rollers 116A-N is configured to roll and move the received horticultural produce into the visual inspection unit 118. The one or more rotary rollers 116A-N may include a first end of the roller, and a second end of the roller, where the first end and the second end of the roller, enables the horticultural produce to roll and move. The first end of the roller may be an inner end, and the second end of the roller may be an outer end. In some embodiments, the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N can be rotated in any of a clockwise direction or an anti-clockwise direction. The visual inspection unit 118 is configured to inspect the horticultural produce in all the sides with the rotation of the horticultural produce in the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N. The visual inspection unit 118 may determine any of quality, colour, and size of the horticultural produce during the inspection. In some embodiments, the visual inspection unit 118 captures views of the all directions of the horticultural produce by rolling and tilting the horticultural produce, which enables the visual inspection unit 118 to determine the quality of the horticultural produce accurately. The horticultural produce rotates on the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N continuously until the quality of the specific horticultural produce is determined.

[0025] Once the inspection of the horticultural produce is completed, the horticultural produce in the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N is transferred to the one or more cups 120A-N.In some embodiments, the one or more cups 120A-N are also rotating along the same axis of theone or more rotary rollers 116A-N. The one or more rotary rollers 116A-N is configured to roll on a surface with varying height by pivoting on an axis of the outer end, which enables any of (i) lowering a rolling surface height of the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N to move the horticultural produce radially inward, or (i) increasing the rolling surface height of the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N to move the horticultural produce radially outward, to the one or more cups 120A-N. The rolling surface height may be above the one or more cups 120A-N, which enables the horticultural produce to move to the one or more cups 120A-N at a designated position in the grader. In some embodiments, each of the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N includes a lever to move the horticultural produce that are not rolling well in the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N. The lever in each of the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N may push the horticultural produce to a cup that is adjacent to the rotary roller.

[0026] The weighing unit 122 is configured to determine a weight of the horticultural produce along with the one or more cups 120A-N. The ejecting unit 124 is configured to eject the horticultural produce from the one or more cups 120A-N to the output block 112. The output block 112 includes one or more collection units to collect the horticultural produce. The ejecting unit 124 ejects the horticultural produce based on a pre-determined criteria. The pre-determined criteria may include a good quality horticultural produce with weight of 200 grams to a first collection unit, a medium quality horticultural produce with weight in a range of 100 grams to 200 grams to a second collection unit, and the like. These grading criteria and choice of collection location is user configurable.

[0027] The input block 102, the washing block 104, the drying block 106, the brushing block 108, the grading block 110, and the output block 112 may be stacked vertically or horizontally in the system 100, that reduces the overall space required for the system 100. Thesystem 100 may include a user interface which enable users to provide the pre-determined criteria or conditions, for handling and grading the horticultural produce. In some embodiments, the user also has the capability to configure the grading criteria and collection points. The user may control operations of the system 100 with the user interface. The system 100 may include a control unit which enables the system 100 to perform these operations. In some embodiments, the user can manually inspect the horticultural produce throughout the process.

[0028] FIGS. 2A-2H illustrate exemplary views of the system 100 of FIG. 1 according to some embodiments herein. FIG. 2A shows an exemplary view of the system 100. FIG. 2B shows an exemplary view of the singulator unit 114. FIG. 2C shows an exemplary view of the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N. FIG. 2D shows an exemplary view of a horticultural produce 202 moving on the one or more rotary rollers 116A-N. FIG. 2E shows an exemplary view of the one or more cups 120A-N rotating adjacent to the one or more rotary rollers 116A- N. FIG. 2F shows an exemplary view of an ejector unit 204 of the output block 112. FIG. 2G shows an exemplary view of a collection unit 206 of the output block 112. FIG. 2H shows an exemplary view of a user interface 208 of the system 100, that enables the users to provide the pre-determined criteria. The functions and explanations of the system 100 are explained above.

[0029] FIGS. 3A and 3B are flow diagrams that illustrate a method for stacking a plurality of objects for determining an attribute of the plurality of objects according to some embodiments herein. At a step 302, the method includes receiving the plurality of objects by the singulator unit 114. At a step 304, the method includes rotating the first surface and the second surface of the singulator unit 114 at a different pre-determined speed. At a step 306, the method includes arranging the plurality of objects in the sequential order by enabling an object to move ahead in the sequential order when that object makes contact with any of thefirst surface or the second surface that is rotating at a higher speed than the other. At a step 308, the method includes rotating the plurality of rotary rollers 116A-N that are coupled to the singulator unit 114 around an axis in clock wise or anti-clock wise direction to enable rolling of the sequentially arranged plurality of objects. At a step 310, the method includes rotating the plurality of rotary rollers 116A-N around the singulator unit 114 to enable moving of the sequentially arranged plurality of objects. At a step 312, the method includes capturing the plurality of images by rolling and tilting the plurality of objects in all directions and analysing the plurality of images using image processing technique. At a step 314, the method includes determining the attribute comprising at least one of a colour or a size of the plurality of objects by the visual inspection unit 118.

[0030] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and / or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMSI / We Claim:

1. A system (100) that stacks a plurality of objects for determining an attribute of the plurality of objects, wherein the system (100) comprises: a singulator unit (114) that is configured to receive the plurality of objects, wherein the singulator unit (114) comprises a first surface and a second surface that are configured to rotate at a different pre-determined speed, wherein the singulator unit (114) is configured to arrange the plurality of objects in a sequential order by enabling an object to move ahead in the sequential order when that object makes contact with any of the first surface or the second surface that rotates at a higher speed than the other; a plurality of rotary rollers (116A-N) that is coupled to the singulator unit (114), wherein the plurality of rotary rollers (116A-N) rotates around an axis in clockwise or anticlockwise direction to enable the sequentially arranged plurality of objects to roll, wherein the plurality of rotary rollers (116A-N) rotates around the singulator unit (114) to move the sequentially arranged plurality of objects; and a visual inspection unit (118) that is coupled to the plurality of rotary rollers, wherein the visual inspection unit is configured to (i) capture plurality of images of the plurality of objects received from the plurality of rotary rollers by rolling and tilting the plurality of objects in all directions, and (ii) determine an attribute comprising of at least one of a colour or a size by analysing the plurality of images using an image processing technique.

2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein when an object makes contacts with any of the first surface or the second surface that is rotating slower than the other, that objectis positioned behind in the sequential order.

3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotary rollers (116A- N) is configured to roll on a surface with varying height by pivoting on an axis of an outer end of the plurality of rotary rollers(116A-N), which enables any of (i) lowering a rolling surface height of the one or more rotary rollers (116A-N) to move the plurality of objects radially inward, or (ii) increasing the rolling surface height of the one or more rotary rollers (116A-N) to move the plurality of objects radially outward, to plurality of cups (120A-N), wherein the rolling surface height is above the plurality of cups (120A-N);4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (100) comprises: an input block (102) that is configured to receive and store the plurality of objects; a washing block (104) that is coupled to the input block (102) through any of the plain inclined conveyor belt, or step inclined conveyor belt, that enables the plurality of objects from the input block (102) to move to the washing block (104), wherein the washing block (104) is configured to wash the plurality of objects using washing mechanism; a drying block (106) that is coupled to the washing block (104) is configured to dry the washed plurality of objects; and a brushing block (108) that is coupled to the drying block (106) is configured to brush the plurality of objects and stack the plurality of objects vertically and radially.

5. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (100) comprises: a weighing unit (122) that is coupled to the plurality of cups (120A-N) determines theweight of the plurality of objects; an ejecting unit (124) that is coupled to the weighing unit ejects the plurality of objects from the plurality of cups to an output block (112) based on pre-determined criteria; and the output block (112) that is coupled to the ejecting unit (124) comprises of one or more collection units to collect the plurality of objects, wherein the collection location is user configurable.

6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the system (100) comprises the input block (102), the washing block (104), the drying block (106), the brushing block (108), a grading block (110), and the output block (112) are stacked vertically or horizontally in the system, enabling a circular placement.

7. A method of stacking the plurality of objects for determining the attribute of the plurality of objects, wherein the method comprises: receiving the plurality of objects by the singulator unit (114); rotating the first surface and the second surface of the singulator unit (114) at a different pre-determined speed; arranging the plurality of objects in the sequential order by enabling an object to move ahead in the sequential order when that object makes contact with any of the first surface or the second surface that is rotating at a higher speed than the other; rotating the plurality of rotary rollers (116A-N) that are coupled to the singulator unit (114) around an axis in clock wise or anti-clock wise direction to enable rolling of the sequentially arranged plurality of objects;rotating the plurality of rotary rollers (116A-N) around the singulator unit (114) to enable moving of the sequentially arranged plurality of objects; capturing the plurality of images by rolling and tilting the plurality of objects in all directions and analysing the plurality of images using image processing technique; and determining the attribute comprising at least one of a colour or a size of the plurality of objects by the visual inspection unit (118).

Images