Bin picking 

Random or automated bin picking is typically at the input stage of a manufacturing system. It is widely used in automotive, white goods, mechanical assembly, or machine tending solutions. Instead of traditional static fixtures or pre-filled stacking patterns, a robot empties a bin bulk-filled with parts directly into a machine or into a feeder, conveyor, or sorter for further processing in the plant.

Bin-picking often contains only one type of part with a specific purpose rather than general goods. Bin-picking objects are highly varied in size, color, and material. Developing a bin-picking solution requires the precise placement of the objects for measurement, stamping, or other item manipulations. The ability to properly handle an object can determine if the next step in processing the part or materials will be executed correctly.

The choice of the vision system is critical to fulfilling the bin-picking requirements since the 3D camera impacts the robot’s ability to successfully detect, pick, and place all types of parts. On this page, you will learn more about how to increase the number of pickable parts using our Zivid 3D machine vision cameras.

Bin-picking is still a challenge in robotics. Problematic objects are typically complex-shaped, hard to manipulate, entangled, and/or highly reflective machined or polished metals. The difficulty stems from the inherent uncertainty in physics, perception, and control. Poor detection may lead to collisions, damaged parts, reduced productivity, and poor path planning. To get optimal detection, complete crisp point cloud quality gives the best possible detection for CAD matching. These point clouds must also be accurate and scale with reality to get the best pick pose for the part. 

Zivid 3D cameras deliver significantly higher quality at faster speeds than typical laser scanners used in bin picking today. With capture speeds less than 300 ms, the cameras cover high dynamic range scenes including shiny and reflective objects.