Comau, an Italian automation company, has revealed a new solution that it claims can autonomously recognise, locate and grasp randomly placed objects at a rate of up to 40 pieces per minute (PPM).
The newest product falls within Comau’s Machine Inspection Recognition Archetypes (MI.RA) portfolio of hardware-agnostic, intelligent vision systems. It was produced for use across a range of industries, such as food & beverage, pharmaceuticals, plastics, metal and machinery, electronics and automotive industries.
The automated solutions provider has said the new MI.RA/Picker can help increase productivity, while reducing processing times and ensuring optimal picking precision and efficiency for single or multiple bins measuring up to one-metre tall.
What’s more, the company has described the picker as ‘adaptable to any commercial robot, customised bin or customised gripper’, with the fully automated picking solution using two high-resolution laser sensors and a central camera to autonomously recognise, locate and grasp randomly placed objects.
“Comau’s ongoing commitment to shaping innovation through advanced automation is seen in our ability to make complex technology more accessible and effective,” said Nicole Clement, chief of advanced automation solutions business unit, Comau.
“We believe, based on internal estimates and supporting market research, that the random bin and piece picking market could reach US$1.2bn (£938.3m) by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 76% (2019-2025).
“In this light, our novel approach to intelligent random bin picking for machine tending, pick and place and kitting operations, among others will undoubtedly help our customers increase both their process quality and production capacity.”
The picker is designed to use virtual simulation tools and predictive algorithms to guarantee optimal path management and collision-free trajectories, which is intended to offer both reliable performance while lowering costs and risk.
By eliminating unsustainable manual sorting activities, Comau has stated that MI.RA/Picker can increase both productivity and operator wellbeing.
