Sorting Table Hand Tracking for Accurate Sheet Metal Part Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for sorting workpieces, particularly laser cut or punched sheet metal parts, are time-consuming and prone to errors due to the need for visual comparison, which becomes cumbersome with a large variety of parts and can be inefficient for small or bending-resistant workpieces.
Innovation Solution
A method using a localizing system to determine the position of an operator's hand and associate it with the positions of workpieces on a sorting table, providing sorting signals that include information for efficient sorting and placement, utilizing cameras and image processing for accurate identification and gesture detection to streamline the sorting process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If visual comparison methods are used for sorting workpieces, then operators can identify and sort parts, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone when dealing with a large variety of parts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual visual comparison method with an automated optical recognition system. Cameras capture images of workpieces, and image processing algorithms automatically identify and classify parts, substituting the human visual inspection process with a automated vision-based system that operates faster and with consistent accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies (images) of the workpieces and compares them against reference data or previously captured images. This allows for rapid identification and classification without requiring physical handling or direct visual comparison by operators, significantly reducing sorting time while maintaining accuracy.
2Ease of operation
If operators visually compare each workpiece with drawings, then sorting can be performed, but the process is cumbersome and inefficient for small or bending-resistant workpieces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual visual comparison process with an automated optical recognition system. Cameras capture images of workpieces, and image processing algorithms automatically identify and classify parts, substituting the human visual inspection process with a automated vision-based system that operates faster and with consistent accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the workpieces to be automatically identified and classified without requiring operator intervention for each item. The vision system and image processing algorithms perform the sorting task autonomously, allowing the process to run at high speed without being limited by human operational capacity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If many different part forms are cut, then production variety is increased, but part recognition and sorting become more difficult and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates digital copies (images) of the workpieces and compares them against reference data or previously captured images. This allows for rapid identification and classification without requiring physical handling or direct visual comparison by operators, significantly reducing sorting time while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The image processing system can adapt to different part forms by adjusting recognition parameters and algorithms. The system processes visual data rather than physical properties, allowing it to handle diverse geometries and configurations through software-based pattern recognition rather than requiring physical measurement or manual comparison.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for assisting a user with sorting workpieces disposed on a sorting table uses a positioning system for determining a spatial position of a user's hand. The position can be determined by a sorting assistance unit worn near a hand of the user and the position of which is detected by the positioning system, or by image-based positioning using one or more cameras. The method comprises providing a position data set that includes the positions of the workpieces produced of the machining plan on the sorting table; by the positioning system, detecting a position of the user's hand and comparing it with the positions of the position data set; identifying at least one workpiece that is paired with the position of the user's hand; and outputting a sorting signal which comprises information about the at least one workpiece paired with the position of the user's hand.