AccuPickCase Study
Fragile Items Pick and Place
Customer
The client is a prominent manufacturer of luxurious crystal accessories and homeware. They are partnered with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider for efficient order fulfillment.
Challenge
Automating Fragile Item Handling
The 3PL was considering implementing automation to enhance their picking process, which involved manual transfer and cross-checking of orders before shipping them out. To achieve this, a new system was required to guide robots in picking up packages and scanning them with a barcode reader to ensure the correct items were included.
The main challenge lay in enabling the robot to accurately identify different packages during the initial stage. These packages varied in size depending on the item enclosed and were densely packed together. Additionally, given the fragile nature of the client’s glass products, the robot needed to possess the intelligence to carefully pick and place them without causing any damage.
Solution
Enhancing Picking Efficiency with AccuPick
To identify the most suitable software solution, the 3PL conducted a blind test to assess the integration of different vision systems with their Azure Kinect cameras and Omron robots. Solomon’s cutting-edge logistics solution, AccuPick, emerged as a frontrunner due to its utilization of AI algorithms and 3D imaging for picking unknown items.
By employing high-accuracy instance segmentation, the system successfully detected individual packages even in densely packed bins, enabling the robot to pinpoint the optimal picking location. The motion planning function of the system then guided the robot in carefully placing the packages using advanced path analysis and collision avoidance techniques.
Furthermore, AccuPick seamlessly integrated with various end-effectors, ranging from parallel grips to suction cups. When identifying a package, the system automatically determines the appropriate gripping method for optimal picking. This harmonious coordination between the hardware and software ensured the complete safety of both the packaging and its contents throughout the handling process.