Material Handling Flow Control Using 3D Object Identification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current material handling systems face challenges in accurately identifying and automating the handling of cases with diverse product trade-dresses and UPC codes, often requiring manual intervention and increasing the risk of errors in order fulfillment.
Innovation Solution
A fully or partially automated material handling system that uses 3D image capture and database comparison to identify objects, allowing for the distinction between different trade-dresses and UPC codes, even when the machine-readable code is inaccessible, and operates independently of manufacturer-provided data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual inspection and label application are used to identify objects, then object identification accuracy is improved, but automation level and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection and physical label application with an automated optical imaging system. The 3D imaging device captures images of objects on conveyors, and image processing algorithms automatically identify objects, replacing the mechanical human inspection process while maintaining high identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies (3D images) of physical objects for identification purposes. Instead of requiring physical labels or manual inspection, the system captures and processes digital images to identify objects, enabling automated decision-making without physical intervention.
2Measurement precision
If manual inspection and label application are used to identify objects, then object identification accuracy is improved, but processing time and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system operates continuously as objects move along the conveyor, capturing images without stopping the material flow. This eliminates the discrete stop-and-inspect cycle of manual processes, maintaining continuous production flow while performing identification at every stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs identification in advance during the receiving and sorting processes, before objects need to be dispatched. This preliminary identification enables automated routing and sorting decisions to be made upfront, eliminating delays that would occur if identification were performed later at dispatch points.
3Device complexity
If manufacturer-provided object data is used, then system simplicity is improved, but reliability and accuracy deteriorate due to incorrect or irrelevant data
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-identification by capturing and processing its own images of objects rather than relying on external data from manufacturers. The imaging and identification functions are built into the material handling system itself, enabling it to independently verify object identities without trusting external data sources.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop where identified objects are tracked through the material handling process, and identification results are continuously verified and updated. This creates a self-correcting system that can detect and resolve data discrepancies in real-time, improving reliability through continuous validation.
Data Source
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AI summary
A material handling system having object handling and transportation devices and method of receiving objects into a warehouse having a material handling system includes scanning a machine readable code of an incoming load forming at least a portion of an order and comparing the machine readable code with an order file listing objects on the incoming load. For each object on the load, object data including a 3D image and product code of the object removed from the incoming load is received with an image capture station and reconciled with the order file. Each object is identified by comparing the 3D image of the object captured with the image capture station with the 3D images in the database. The material handling system is controlled as a function of the identity of the objects being handled and transported by the material handling system.