Computer Vision Bud Filling for Precise Container Weight
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for packaging cannabis buds into containers of specific weights are manual, time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to product damage and waste, as they require direct handling of delicate buds.
Innovation Solution
An automated system comprising a dram filling robot and a dram transport robot, along with a computer vision system, that picks and places cannabis buds into containers until a predetermined target weight is reached, minimizing manual handling and reducing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual picking and loading of cannabis buds into drams is performed, then the process allows for flexible handling and adjustment, but it is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and prone to product damage and waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system with an automated robotic system. A robotic arm with vacuum grippers performs the picking and placing of cannabis buds into drams, eliminating manual labor while maintaining precise control over the handling process. This substitution directly addresses the productivity-time contradiction by automating the repetitive manual tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates real-time weight monitoring that automatically controls the filling process. The robotic arm continues picking buds and placing them in drams until the target weight is reached, at which point the system automatically stops the filling process. This self-regulating mechanism eliminates the need for continuous manual monitoring and decision-making, improving efficiency while reducing time loss.
2Reliability
If manual handling of cannabis buds is performed, then operators can carefully select and place buds, but direct contact with buds causes damage and increases waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces direct manual contact with a robotic system that uses vacuum suction through specialized grippers. This non-contact or minimal-contact method prevents the mechanical damage that occurs during manual handling, thereby improving product integrity while reducing the loss of substandard buds to waste.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic vacuum gripper acts as an intermediary between the human operator and the cannabis buds. Instead of direct manual handling, the gripper transfers the buds using controlled suction, which minimizes mechanical stress and damage to the delicate plant material, thus preserving product integrity and reducing waste.
3Productivity
If automated robotic picking and placing is implemented, then manual labor is reduced and speed increases, but system complexity and initial cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system is designed with multi-functionality to justify its complexity. The same robotic arm and vacuum gripper system can handle different bud sizes, weights, and types by adjusting suction parameters and picking patterns. The system can also adapt to different dram sizes and target weights, making the complexity worthwhile by providing versatile automated packaging capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses adjustable parameters to manage complexity. Weight thresholds, suction force levels, and picking speeds can be modified based on the specific cannabis strain and packaging requirements. This parameter flexibility allows the system to maintain high productivity across different product types without requiring completely different hardware configurations.
4Manufacturing precision
If precise weight monitoring is implemented during filling, then target weight accuracy is improved, but measurement and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex manual weighing and judgment processes with automated electronic weight sensors integrated into the dram holder or conveyor system. These sensors provide real-time weight data to the control system, which automatically determines when the target weight is reached. This electronic substitution simplifies the overall control complexity while achieving high precision in loaded dram weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements real-time weight feedback control. As the robotic arm places buds into the dram, the weight sensor continuously monitors the total weight and feeds this information back to the control system. When the weight approaches or reaches the target threshold, the system automatically stops the filling process, ensuring precise weight accuracy without requiring complex manual measurement procedures.
Data Source
AI summary
A cannabis bud sorting, picking and filling system includes a computer vision system operable to view and estimate the weight of a plurality of buds on a bud picking tray and to direct a bud picker robot to pick a plurality of buds from the bud picking tray and deposit the picked buds in an amount to load a container to its predetermined loaded target weight. A computer vision system acquires a digital image of product items having a product type, identifying each product item in the image, determining a pixel-based area for each identified product item, predicting a weight of each identified product item based on a size thereof, the determined pixel-based area and a predetermined density based on the product type, grouping, based on the predicted weights, the identified product items into groups satisfying the target weight, and automatedly picking and placing each group into a container.