3D Void Detection for Adaptive Protective Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional packaging processes for online purchases are labor-intensive and require significant human intervention, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs due to incorrect or excessive use of protective packaging.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing computer vision and machine learning to detect shipping containers, generate 3D point clouds, identify void areas, and autonomously dispense protective packaging to fill these areas, optimizing packaging material usage and reducing human involvement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If human assistance is used throughout the box filling/sealing process, then the packaging can be completed with manual judgment and flexibility, but the process becomes labor-intensive and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service automation where the packaging machine autonomously performs void area detection, protective packaging selection, and dispensing operations without human intervention. The computer vision system automatically identifies void spaces and the controller independently manages the dispensing process, eliminating the need for manual box filling while maintaining operational effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical operations with an automated system integrating computer vision technology and automated dispensing mechanisms. The vision system captures images and identifies void areas, while the controller automatically directs protective packaging to specific locations, substituting human judgment and manual placement with automated detection and mechanical dispensing systems
2Reliability
If excessive protective packaging is used to ensure product safety, then product protection is improved, but material waste increases and costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies protective packaging locally and precisely to identified void areas rather than uniformly filling the entire box. The computer vision technology detects specific void spaces, and the controller directs protective packaging only to those locations, ensuring product protection where needed while avoiding unnecessary material usage in already-filled areas
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs feedback through computer vision detection to monitor void areas in real-time and adjust protective packaging dispensing accordingly. The vision system continuously identifies void spaces, and the controller uses this information to dispense the appropriate amount of protective packaging, creating a closed-loop system that prevents both under-protection and over-packaging
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual box filling is performed, then flexibility in handling different packaging scenarios is maintained, but labor costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system adapts to different packaging scenarios by dynamically changing operational parameters such as protective packaging type, quantity, and dispensing location based on computer vision detection results. The controller adjusts these parameters automatically for each unique void area configuration, maintaining versatility while operating at automated speeds that reduce packaging time
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for packing a shipping container. The methods comprise: detecting, by a computing device, a presence of the shipping container; generating, by a computing device, a 3D point cloud comprising a 3D perspective representation of interior of the shipping container and surfaces of at least one item disposed in the shipping container; analyzing, by a computing device, the 3D point cloud to identify a void area inside the shipping container, the void area being absent of the at least one item; selecting, by the computing device, a percentage from a plurality of possible percentages based on a characteristic of the void area; and causing, by the computing device, protective packaging to be dispensed into the void area such that the selected percentage of the void area is filled with the protective packaging.