Movable Shelving Unit Storage System with Image-Based Safety Interlock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems with movable shelving units pose a risk of harm to objects or persons due to automatic movement, as they may enclose individuals or objects, and lack effective safety measures to prevent such incidents.
Innovation Solution
A storage system with movable shelving units equipped with a safety system that includes cameras or sensors to monitor the interspace between units, comparing images before and after a movement command to detect potential obstructions, and a control device to execute or ignore commands based on image analysis, ensuring safe unit movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automatic movement of shelving units is implemented, then productivity and space utilization are improved, but safety risks increase due to potential enclosure of persons or objects
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images of the interspace before movement occurs and storing them for later comparison. This allows the system to detect the presence of persons or objects before the shelving units move, preventing harmful enclosure while maintaining automated movement capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the interspace through camera images, comparing current images with previously stored images, and using this information to determine whether movement should be executed or blocked. This closed-loop control ensures safety while maintaining productivity.
2Reliability
If continuous monitoring of interspace is implemented, then safety is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional cameras and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses optical copying through camera images to monitor the interspace instead of direct physical sensing. This allows remote, non-contact monitoring of the space between shelving units, providing safety information without requiring complex physical sensors in the interspace itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The camera system acts as an intermediary, capturing visual information about the interspace and translating it into data that the control device can process. This mediator approach simplifies the overall system by using well-established camera technology rather than requiring specialized sensors for detecting persons or objects in the interspace.
3Measurement precision
If image comparison is performed for every movement command, then accuracy of obstruction detection is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary image capture and storage before movement commands are received. By having the baseline image ready in advance, the system can quickly compare it with new images when movement is requested, reducing processing time while maintaining high detection accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
Storage system, comprising a plurality of shelving units that are each driveably movable in a width direction wherein the storage system further comprises a safety system for determining whether movement is permitted, wherein the safety system comprises at least one camera, configured to provide an image of an interspace between a first shelving unit and a second shelving unit adjacent to the first shelving unit and a control device, for controlling the movement of the shelving units, and for executing a command if the first and second camera images show more than a predetermined amount of correspondence and ignoring the command if the first and the second camera images show more than a predetermined amount of deviation.