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CASE STUDY
Industry: Warehouse/Manufacturing Automation
Product: Helios2 Time-of-Flight Camera
SDK: Custom Software using Arena SDK
3D Projection Picking System Revolutionizes Material Handling Efficiency
High-performance warehouses and logistics centers continuously strive to boost productivity and efficiency. In logistics systems that handle essential goods like pharmaceuticals, precision, reliability, and speed are critical. The demand for advanced, labor-saving, and sustainable solutions has become essential to manage a broad range of products with high accuracy while minimizing operating costs.
Challenge
AIOI Systems Co., Ltd., a leading Japanese company specializing in the development, manufacturing, and sale of cutting-edge logistics systems was approached by various companies facing common challenges in optimizing logistics operations:
• Space Constraints In material handling, saving space is crucial to maintain efficiency. However, as the number of items increased, shelf arrangement and logistics operations became more complex.
• Non-Standardized Packing Lack of standardized packing and storage formats made robotic automation difficult.
• Equipment Integration Combining the system with existing material handling equipment proved challenging, limiting automation effectiveness.
• Error Prevention Complexity Preventing product shipping errors required a sophisticated system with multiple sensors and cameras.
• 3D Sensor Limitations No 3D sensor available could meet the required accuracy and speed standards.
• Cost Concerns The high cost of 3D sensors increased the overall system expense.
Maintaining efficiency while also saving space is a major consideration when designing an automated logistical system.
Solution
In 2016, AIOI Systems introduced the world’s first Projection Picking System® (PPS) which uses projectors and incorporates standard error prevention features utilizing image recognition and 2D sensor technologies. It was widely adopted in picking and sorting processes across the logistics sector.
To meet evolving demands, AIOI Systems developed the 3D Projection Picking System® (3D-PPS), integrating LUCID’s Helios2 3D Time-of-Flight camera. AIOI, renowned for its unique on-site control systems and Smart Cards with built-in RFID, has extended its expertise to over 70 countries worldwide. Leveraging this experience, the 3D-PPS was designed to automate and optimize warehouse operations further.
This innovative 3D-PPS system uses projectors to display images, videos, audio, text, numbers, and QR codes directly onto shelves, racks, floors, and walls, regardless of the layout or size of the workspace. This approach reduces the risk of human error by providing clear and intuitive instructions with a projector and detecting incorrect movements with a 3D ToF camera.
LUCID’s Helios2 3D ToF camera played a key role in enhancing the 3D system, offering several advantages:
• Superior Performance LUCID’s ToF camera excelled with superior resolution, frame rate, and accuracy, offering unparalleled cost-performance benefits, making it the ideal choice for 3D-PPS.
Powered by the Helios2 ToF camera, the 3D projector picking system has effectively automated warehouse operations.
AIOI created a solution to increase error detection, providing real-time data for efficient decision-making by workers of varying skill levels.
• Robustness and Reliability The camera’s IP67-rated durability was vital for logistics and manufacturing environments. A year-long proof-of-concept (POC) test confirmed its robustness, with no issues reported.
• Ease of Integration LUCID’s ArenaView’s user-friendly interface and SDK significantly simplified the integration of the Helios2 ToF camera into the PPS configuration tool. This ease of use streamlined the setup process and enhanced the overall efficiency of the system.
• Exceptional Support LUCID’s technical support was outstanding, providing prompt assistance, even traveling to remote locations to resolve complex issues during critical stages of installation.
The IP67 Helios2 Time-of-Flight camera, featuring Sony's IMX556PLR 3D ToF sensor, is able to meet the accuracy, speed, and performance standards for the system.
Conclusion
The 3D-Projection Picking System (3D-PPS) revolutionizes error detection and operational efficiency using advanced 3D sensor technology. Its intuitive visual instructions enable workers of varying skill levels to perform tasks uniformly. Real-time decision-making, enabled by the 3D ToF camera, ensures operational accuracy without sacrificing speed. This adaptability and real-time feedback make the system a transformative tool in material handling, delivering unmatched accuracy and speed.