However, we have developed a robotic coat hanger picking system with our machine building partner. The remit was to inspect and sort hangers using a robot. The reality required a lot of technology to make it work.
The Challenges
There are other challenging requirements:
- If the hanger type has trouser movable clips attached to it, verify that the clips are in the right place
- If the identified hanger is located on top of another hanger, make sure it really is on top
- Is the hook attached to a neighbouring hanger?
- The list goes on…
Using a combination of Scorpion 3D Stereo vision cameras with RPP lasers and LED light sources to create 3D models of the picking scene in real-time has been the key to this application. Using very fast computers with a highly optimised real-time 3D machine vision algorithm has been critical to success.
The Scope
The following list is just some of the scope:
- Locate coat hangers in a flow of hangers on a conveyor belt
- Identify the hanger type
- Inspect the hanger to verify it is intact
- Verify the hanger is clear of other hangers
- Pick the hanger!
The Results
The vision system sorts one hanger per second. The impact for the customer is a significant reduction in manpower required to process hangers manually.
The green impact could be significant. If this addresses just a fraction of the more than 34 billion hangers that go into landfill every year, then that is surely a great start.