Projects 3D Coat Hanger Recycling

SORTING COAT HANGERS USING ROBOTS IS NO MEAN FEAT.

ANYTHING WITH HOOKS ATTACHED TO IT ADDS A SERIOUS LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY TO ANY AUTOMATION TASK, NIGH IMPOSSIBLE SOME WOULD ARGUE.

However, we have developed a robotic coat hanger picking system with our machine building partner. The remit was to inspect and sort hangers using a robot. The reality required a lot of technology to make it work.

THE CHALLENGES

There are other challenging requirements:

  • If the hanger type has trouser movable clips attached to it, verify that the clips are in the right place
  • If the identified hanger is located on top of another hanger, make sure it really is on top
  • Is the hook attached to a neighbouring hanger?
  • The list goes on…

Using a combination of Scorpion 3D Stereo vision cameras with RPP lasers and LED light sources to create 3D models of the picking scene in real-time has been the key to this application. Using very fast computers with a highly optimised real-time 3D machine vision algorithm has been critical to success.

THE SCOPE

The following list is just some of the scope:

  • Locate coat hangers in a flow of hangers on a conveyor belt
  • Identify the hanger type
  • Inspect the hanger to verify it is intact
  • Verify the hanger is clear of other hangers
  • Pick the hanger!

THE RESULTS

The vision system sorts one hanger per second. The impact for the customer is a significant reduction in manpower required to process hangers manually.

The green impact could be significant. If this addresses just a fraction of the more than 34 billion hangers that go into landfill every year, then that is surely a great start.

GET IN TOUCH

We are always delighted to hear from our customers. If you’d like to ask a question, make an enquiry or request support, please contact us through one of the methods below or by using the enquiry form.

Telephone: +44 (0) 1590 679333
Sales: [email protected]
Technical: [email protected]

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