Commodity transfer apparatus and control method for same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing product transfer systems face issues where the recognized position of product display shelves differs from the actual position, leading to products being misplaced, potentially causing them to fall over due to contact with partition plates.
Innovation Solution
A product transfer apparatus equipped with an arm unit, image capture units, and a control unit that corrects the position of products relative to the intended destination on display shelves by identifying the positional relationship between the product and the shelf using image data, ensuring accurate placement without contacting partition plates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the multi-joint robot apparatus moves a product to a movement destination position on the product display shelf based on image recognition, then the product replenishment operation can be performed, but the product may be placed at a position that deviates from the intended position and contacts partition plates causing the product to fall over
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images of the product display shelf before and after product placement, compares the actual position with the intended position, and uses this feedback information to detect positional deviations. The control unit then adjusts the movement destination position based on this feedback to prevent product misplacement and contact with partition plates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary image capture of the product display shelf to identify the actual positions of partition plates and display lanes before product placement. This preliminary information is used to pre-calculate corrected movement destination positions that account for any deviations between recognized and actual shelf positions, preventing placement errors before they occur.
2Extent of automation
If the system uses image recognition to identify the product display shelf position, then the replenishment system can operate autonomously, but the recognized position may differ from the actual position leading to placement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses image capture units to obtain actual visual information about the shelf position and compares it with the previously recognized position. This feedback loop allows the system to detect and correct deviations between recognized and actual shelf positions, maintaining automation while improving measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces reliance on purely mechanical positioning or pre-programmed coordinates with optical measurement using image capture units. This substitution allows for dynamic adjustment of the movement destination position based on actual visual detection of shelf features, improving position recognition accuracy while maintaining automation.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a product transfer apparatus is provided. The product transfer apparatus includes an arm unit having a holder unit for holding a product, an image capture unit for obtaining image data including at least a portion of the product held by the holder unit for placing the product on one of a plurality of lanes provided on a shelf plate of the product display shelf for displaying the product and placed above the one of the lanes by the arm unit, and at least a portion of the shelf plate including a position of the display, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to identify, based on the image data, a positional relationship in a direction in which the plurality of lanes are arranged, between a reference position of the lane for placing the product of the shelf plate, and the product placed above the lane, and correct, based on the identified positional relationship, the position of the product relative to the reference position by operating the arm unit.