Warehouse Conveyor Control Using Real-Time Virtual Safety Modeling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety systems in warehouses with automated machines and conveyor installations often result in unnecessary area restrictions, reduced speed, and high investment costs, as they are designed to address specific areas or functions rather than providing comprehensive safety across mixed environments with both staff and machines.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses a vision and emulation model to create a virtual representation of the warehouse, including conveyor installations and personnel, to predict and prevent potential dangers by continuously updating a virtualized real-time model with image recognition data from sensors, allowing for centralized control of automated machines to ensure safety without reducing throughput or increasing infrastructure costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional safety systems (fencing, light barriers, radar) are installed to protect persons from automated machines, then safety is improved, but the installation complexity and space requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges safety monitoring functions with the existing vision system used for object detection and conveyor control. The same cameras and image processing infrastructure are utilized to detect both objects and persons, eliminating the need for separate safety systems like light barriers and radar, thus reducing installation complexity while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The vision system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it detects objects on conveyors for material flow control, identifies persons in the environment for safety monitoring, and provides spatial awareness for collision prevention. This multi-functionality replaces multiple specialized safety devices with a single unified system
2Reliability
If traditional safety systems with limited visual range are implemented, then safety coverage is improved, but the operational speed of the installation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously pre-detects persons and potential collision risks using the vision system before automated machines or objects reach dangerous positions. By identifying hazards in advance and calculating predicted positions, the system can prepare safety responses without interrupting normal operational speed, only intervening when actual collision risk is detected
3Reliability
If comprehensive safety monitoring is implemented using traditional sensors, then safety is improved, but the investment costs increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the physical warehouse environment through image processing and generates virtual models of objects and persons. This virtual representation allows safety monitoring and collision prediction to be performed in the digital domain using the same infrastructure already invested in for object detection, eliminating the need for additional expensive safety sensors
Solution Approach 2:
The existing vision infrastructure is made universal by enabling it to perform both material flow control and safety monitoring functions. This eliminates the need for separate safety system investments, as the same cameras and processing power serve dual purposes, significantly reducing total investment costs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach simplifies installation design, reduces the need for traditional safety devices, and maintains high operational efficiency by enabling real-time monitoring and control of conveyor installations and automated machines, ensuring staff safety while minimizing the impact on installation performance and costs.
Implementation Method 1
images of the objects to be conveyed, automated machines and persons in the conveyor installation are captured by means of sensors at predefined short time intervals, the objects to be conveyed, automated machines and persons are identified from the captured images in the central computer by means of image recognition
Data Source
AI summary
Controlling a conveyor installation of a real warehouse having automated machines and persons that are virtualized in a central computer for storing a virtual model of the conveyor installation having the dimensions of the individual conveyor components and the movement parameters thereof. Images of the objects to be conveyed, automated machines and persons in the conveyor installation are captured by sensors at predefined short time intervals and identified by image recognition, and the positions thereof in the conveyor installation are determined. The virtual model is continuously updated with the identification and position determination of the objects in the central computer such that a virtualized real-time model is generated, and the real conveyor installation is centrally controlled with the aid of the model, where material flow control commands are generated for the real actuators for controlling the conveying movement of the automated machines to avoid endangering the persons.