Vision-Guided Robot Depalletizer for Flexible Product Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing depalletizing technologies struggle to efficiently remove a variety of products, such as cases, boxes, and trays, from pallets without gaps, as they often require manual intervention or are limited by the complexity and weight of the products, leading to long cycle times and reduced efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer system that includes a pallet unloading station, a vision system capable of taking images of the top portion of the pallet to determine product positions, and a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool, which uses this information to pick and position each product on an output surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a robot arm equipped with a layer depalletizing tool is used to remove products layer by layer, then the depalletizing efficiency is improved for small to medium sized products, but the cycle time becomes long and efficiency drops when products are large due to the complexity and weight of the tool
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the depalletizing task by using a vision system to identify individual product positions and a robot arm to pick products one by one rather than removing entire layers at once. This allows flexible handling of different product sizes and reduces tool complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical layer depalletizing tool with a vision-guided robot arm system. The vision system captures images to determine product positions, and the robot arm executes precise picking operations, substituting complex mechanical layer removal with automated vision-and-motion control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If manual depalletizing is used where operators pick products individually, then the system can handle various product sizes flexibly, but the productivity is reduced compared to automated layer depalletizing
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automated self-service depalletizing where the robot arm, guided by vision system data, independently identifies and picks products without human intervention. This maintains the flexibility of individual product handling while dramatically increasing productivity through automation.
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system acts as an intermediary between the physical pallet and the robot arm. It captures images, processes product positions, and provides guidance data to the robot, enabling automated flexible handling without direct human involvement in the picking process.
3Measurement precision
If a vision system is used to detect product positions on the pallet, then the robot can pick products one by one with precise positioning, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vision system serves multiple functions: capturing pallet images, identifying product positions, determining product orientations, and providing guidance data for the robot arm. This multi-functionality justifies the added complexity by consolidating detection and guidance tasks into a single integrated system.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning systems with a vision-based detection system. Instead of using mechanical sensors and actuators to locate and position products, the system uses image capture and processing to identify product locations and guide the robot arm, simplifying the overall control architecture.
4Productivity
If products are depalletized layer by layer using a layer depalletizer, then the footprint of the system is larger due to the need for downstream singulation equipment, but the efficiency is higher for large volumes of small products
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the singulation function from the depalletizing process. By picking products one by one directly from the pallet, the robot inherently singulates products during depalletizing, eliminating the need for separate downstream singulation equipment and reducing overall system footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of depalletizing layers and then singulating products downstream, the system inverts the sequence by singulating products during the depalletizing process itself through individual picking. This reversal eliminates the need for additional singulation equipment and reduces system footprint.
Data Source
AI summary
A vision-assisted robotized depalletizer receives at a pallet station a pallet loaded with products and outputs on a conveyor unitized products aligned in a desired orientation. Such depalletizers include a vision system having one or more image acquisition sensors that are positioned relative to the pallet station so as to have a field of view covering a top portion of the pallet. The sensors send to a controller one or more image of the top portion of the pallet that the controller uses along to determine the position of each product in the top portion of the pallet. The depalletizer further includes a robot equipped with a depalletizing tool that is coupled to the vision system controller for receiving information indicative of the position of each product from the top portion and uses that information to pick and position on the output conveyor each product from the top portion.