Home // International Journal On Advances in Intelligent Systems, volume 11, numbers 3 and 4, 2018 // View article

Picking and Assortment Operation Assistance Systems with the Depth Camera

Authors:
Yoshitoshi Murata
Yuki Takehara
Yoshihiro Uda
Takamichi Yoshikawa

Keywords: Smart factory, Industry 4.0, picking, depth camera, MS-KINECT, projection mapping

Abstract:
Industry 4.0 is a well-regarded concept for automation in manufacturing. However, a shortage of high-skilled workers has necessitated realistic solutions for establishing high productivity and quality. We propose an information and communications technology (ICT) picking assistance system to lower human errors for high quality. In this system, a depth camera detects whether a hand is inserted into the correct cell of a shelf to pick items and whether a hand is inserted into the correct box in a cart to put items in. MS-KINECT is used as a depth camera. The misdetection rate for wrong operation in the picking process is very low in an experimental evaluation, and we expect it to be very close to zero in the near future. We determine that the proposed picking and assortment error detection function would be useful for business. In this system, projection mapping technologies are used to indicate which cell items should be picked from, instead of using a lamp. The indicating system, which uses a projector, has a lower introduction cost than those using a lamp. We clarify that gray sandpaper is one of the best materials to serve as a tag for MS-KINECT to recognize indicated colors and digits.

Pages: 299 to 308

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2018. Used with permission.

Publication date: December 30, 2018

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2679