The key to factory automation is '3D robot vision'... Pickit enhances efficiency and flexibility with 3D vision

In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, automation technology is being integrated into various industrial fields. The core of factory automation lies in '3D robot vision,' responsible for the eyes of robots. Robots, through 3D vision sensors, can perform tasks accurately and quickly, much like humans. Pickit's 3D vision enhances the efficiency and flexibility of the manufacturing process. As a leading example of manufacturing intelligence, this introduces Pickit Korea's 3D robot vision solution for bin picking and automation.

Pickit aids in building robot automation through 3D vision

Pickit is a company that originated from Intermodalics, a robotic software company, and specializes in developing 3D vision for 'the eyes of robots.’

Pickit focuses on developing solutions for manufacturing processes in the industrial automation market, particularly in areas such as bin picking, assembly, and robot guidance. They offer a variety of solutions, with user-friendly 3D robot vision at the forefront, emphasizing easy-to-use solutions without the need for coding.

Pickit’s 3D cameras are structured light cameras with a high level of accuracy. They offer SD and HD resolution cameras, and each product is capable of both fixed and robot mounting. Pickit’s software integration platform, which does not require coding, includes built-in tools for remote and cloud support, providing a customer-friendly experience.

Furthermore, customized development is possible to add specific features to applications, maximize user environments, and build a customized UI compatible with operating systems.

What is 3D robot vision?

3D robot vision operates based on the principles of 3D vision software, 3D vision cameras, robots, and calibration. Through a high-precision robot camera calibration engine, Pickit can represent objects in a common 3D coordinate system with the connected robot. The robot can move directly to the received pose from Pickit without additional calculations, simplifying and easing the robot programming process.

Application 1. Bin-picking Solution

Pickit’s 3D vision applications include 3D bin-picking, 3D robot guidance, 3D assembly, and 3D palletizing.

Bin picking is the task of sequentially picking up randomly stacked objects and moving them to a specified location. Pickit's bin picking engine uses a 3D camera mounted on a fixed structure or robot to detect the 3D pose of objects. It then moves the robot's TCP (Tool Center Point) to the calibrated position based on the detected object's location. Bin picking with 3D vision enables the picking of randomly loaded products, improving the work environment by accomplishing tasks that traditional robots couldn't handle. Bin picking solutions minimize mechanical devices, saving space, and eliminating the risk associated with the operation.

The bin picking solution not only provides the coordinates of the object's position but also verifies the possibility of collisions before providing the coordinates. Confirming the absence of collisions is essential for practical bin picking to ensure its feasibility.

Application 2. Robot Guidance Solution

When a robot needs to use the picked information for a specific coordinate consistently, it undergoes robot guidance. If the position of the target object changes, the guidance involves capturing the modified information through vision, refreshing the coordinates, and setting up the robot to follow the taught information. Even when the field of view (FOV) of the 3D vision is insufficient, robot guidance allows for accurate positioning by predicting the entire model based on critical parts of the target object. Robot guidance, as an application module of Pickit, is versatile and can be applied in various ways to overcome hardware limitations.

The primary reason for using 3D vision is that the target product cannot always be aligned in a fixed position. Since the position varies each time, the use of the robot's eyes, 3D vision, helps the robot adjust its picking point to match the product, regardless of whether it is in a fixed position or not.

Application 3. Assembly

The assembly stage involves using vision to locate and align parts, allowing the robot to reach its final position. Using the detected positions of two objects (P1, P2), the robot (flange) motion is calculated to fit one component to the fixed relative part. Since the relative pose between P1 and the robot flange is directly detected, flange offset or robot TCP errors can be automatically compensated in the calculated fit-up motion of the robot flange.

Application 4. De-palletizing

Pickit's de-palletizing solution is equipped with the high-efficiency de-palletization engine 'DeepAL,' capable of handling non-mixed products such as boxes, buckets, boxes, and tote bags.

It can detect components arranged in various patterns, irrespective of color patterns, and is stable in changing lighting conditions, including movement or tilting. The solution is easy to deploy, user-friendly, and seamlessly integrates with existing processes. With 3D robot vision, workers can focus on high-value tasks while the de-palletizing process is handled.

The application UI of Pickit's solution is designed with an intuitive interface to maximize user convenience, and customization of the UI is also possible.

Pickit: The optimal choice for robot automation

The declining industrial workforce due to low birth rates and an aging society has led to the automation of manufacturing through robots. Pickit's 3D vision solution aids in the implementation of smart automation without the need for teaching in robot automation. By utilizing Pickit's solution, customers can enjoy benefits such as minimized use of space, reduced downtime, easy maintenance, and minimized engineering costs.

The key to factory automation is '3D robot vision'...Pickit enhances efficiency and flexibility with 3D vision (hellot.net)