Vision-guided label placement on moving parcels
Parcels arrive on the belt at different heights and angles. An overhead time-of-flight (ToF) camera measures the top surface; the position, orientation and height of the label are computed from the plane fitted to that surface. The robot takes the label from the printer and applies it at the computed point while tracking the belt, without stopping the parcel.
The label position, angle and height are sent to the robot controller together with the belt encoder value. A parcel with no suitable plane passes unlabelled, the stack light signals it and the parcel is flagged for manual labelling.
- 01 Infeed
- 02 Surface measurement
- 03 Label pose
- 04 Tracking
- 05 Apply
The parcel enters the measuring field at a random angle.
- Parcel angle
- —
- Surface height
- —
- Plane deviation
- —
Scenes are illustrative simulations; they are not customer references or performance guarantees.
Need
Parcel length, height and angle on the belt change every time and the parcel does not stop. The label must sit on a flat, free area parallel to an edge; tape, the flap gap and a bulging surface shrink the usable area, and the computed point moves before the robot reaches it.
Solution approach
The ToF camera captures a height image of the top surface; a plane is fitted and the parcel angle is found from its edges. The label target is chosen on the plane, parallel to an edge and in a free region; a surface too far from planar gets no label. The capture-time position is carried forward with the belt encoder; the robot tracks the target at belt speed and presses the label on.
Process steps
- 01
Infeed
The parcel enters the measuring field at a random angle.
- 02
Surface measurement
The ToF camera captures a height image of the top surface.
- 03
Label pose
A plane is fitted and the label position and angle are computed.
- 04
Tracking
The robot takes the label and tracks the target at belt speed.
- 05
Apply
The label is pressed onto the moving parcel.
Related applications
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