Fast localization & picking of multiple objects

Partners:

Tipteh

Hella

Challenge:

The customer needed to automate the task of taking plastic parts from one machine where they were being dried and putting them into another machine for further processing and testing. Before, this task was performed manually by workers.

Solution:

Locator Studio + PhoXi 3D Scanner

The customer decided on a solution from Photoneo - the Locator Studio with a PhoXi 3D Scanner.

The process looks as follows:

The parts arrive on a plate. The robot requests information about the objects’ location and position. The PhoXi 3D Scanner makes a scan of the scene and the data is immediately processed as a point cloud. This is followed by CAD localization and defining the position and rotation of each object in the form of X, Y, and Z coordinates.

After the robot receives an object’s location and position, it can proceed to the picking action. It is equipped with a universal gripper that can pick several different parts. Fast localization and picking of multiple objects are enabled by Locator Studio’s smart memory and the possibility to use a complicated gripper design.

The parts need to be placed into a processing machine with submillimeter accuracy. This is ensured by measuring the part position in the gripper with the 3D localization system and by adjusting the robot arm coordinates accordingly.

This type of application does not require path planning with collision avoidance so Photoneo’s Locator Studio was a perfect choice.

Discussion:

The customer decided on this solution because it provides the following advantages:

• No need for path planning with collision avoidance, which leads to faster picking speed than traditional bin picking solutions
• No need for different grippers to pick various parts
• No need for a separate positioning mechanism prior to picking
• High flexibility - fast changeover to other parts with different shapes
• Simple & fast 3D picking in collision-free environments 
• Fast scanning speed & superior quality of 3D point clouds 
• Easy calibration and configuration via the web interface
• Robust CAD-based object localization from a single scan while the robot picks the previous round of parts
• Fast integration with an arbitrary robot system thanks to the TCP/IP protocol

The customer was very satisfied with the solution and ordered 4 systems.

Would you like to discuss your use case with us?

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