Design World recently stopped by the ABB booth at this year’s Pack Expo in Chicago to learn about what the global technology company is up to in the packaging space. There were several products on display at the booth, but one was commanding most of the attention; the company’s new AI-powered Robotic Item Picker. We asked ABB VP of Consumer Segments, Ali Raja about what makes the new Robotic Item Picker special, and what customers can expect from the new technology.
“Why we’re so excited about this is because it’s combining ABB’s famous motion planning and the latest techniques in machine vision and AI to achieve the highest pick rate of any item-picking application on the market.”
Up to 1,500 picks per hour to be exact. Raja also said that there is no training required and the robot is capable of picking completely randomized objects from cylinders to cuboids, blister packs, and clamshell packaging.
Some details about the solution:
The ABB Robotic Item Picker incorporates a high-performance robot with machine vision to detect and pick items placed in random order, fully automating tasks that require the flexibility and dexterity of humans.
Reliability
With a first-time, right-pick rate of 98.5%, and picking efficiency of >99.5 %, the Item Picker offers a high level of reliability, when compared to other solutions in the market. Reducing the potential for errors and helping improve delivery times.
Speed
The Item Picker can achieve 1,400 picks per hour at peak rates, enabling businesses to handle more orders without investing in headcount or time.
Increased autonomy
The Item Picker can work continuously for over 1 hour, without any human supervision. This level of autonomy is important to reduce cost-per-pick and getting orders out of the door faster.
Versatility
The solution can pick through a broad range of items and can be modified with different grippers, robots and software to suit customers’ needs.
Customer Segments
• Fashion and apparel
• Pharmaceuticals
• Healthcare & cosmetics • Electronics
Applications
• Order picking
• Replenishment • Receipt picking • Sorting
Raja also talked about this solution’s versatility.
“This is a perfect application for order picking. We also have the ability to do barcode scanning on the fly. So if you want to identify the SKUs or match the stock number or batch number — that functionality is already built in.
Filed Under: Vision • machine vision • cameras + lenses • frame grabbers • optical filters • scanners