Warehousing Robot Image Counting for In-Place Box Inventory
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing inventory counting methods in warehousing systems are inefficient and costly, requiring manual or robotic movement of items to human-robot interaction workstations for counting.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for automatic material inventory counting using a warehousing robot, which captures an inventory counting image of a target box and determines the inventory count based on the image, improving efficiency and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual or robotic movement of items to human-robot interaction workstations is used for inventory counting, then inventory counting can be performed, but the process costs a long time and has low efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of physically moving boxes to workstations with an optical/image processing system. The warehousing robot captures images of materials in storage locations using a visual sensor, and image processing algorithms automatically count and identify materials, eliminating the need for physical transport and manual counting operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates visual copies (images) of the materials in their original storage locations. Instead of moving physical objects to counting stations, the system captures digital representations of the materials and performs counting operations on these copies, significantly reducing time and improving efficiency.
2Extent of automation
If items are dispatched and transported into human-robot interaction workstations for inventory counting, then counting can be implemented, but the complexity of the process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the counting function from the physical material handling process. Instead of requiring the complete workflow of transporting boxes to workstations, the system isolates and performs only the essential counting operation in-situ using image capture and processing, simplifying the overall system architecture.
3Productivity
If manual management and operating is used in warehousing system, then flexibility is maintained, but the efficiency of warehousing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service inventory counting where the warehousing robot autonomously captures images, processes them to identify and count materials, and updates inventory records without human intervention. The robot independently performs the complete counting workflow, improving efficiency while maintaining operational simplicity through automated decision-making.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a material inventory counting method and apparatus, a warehousing robot, and a warehousing system. The material inventory counting method is applied to the warehousing robot. The method includes: capturing an inventory counting image of a target box through the warehousing robot; and determining an inventory count of a material in the target box according to the inventory counting image. According to the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure, an inventory counting image of a target box is captured through a warehousing robot, and a count for a material in the target box is determined through image identification on the inventory counting image, to implement in-situ and automatic inventory counting for the material, without the need for cross-zone movement of the box, such that the efficiency of material inventory counting is greatly improved and the cost of inventory counting is lowered.