Material handling system and method

A material handling system comprising:

• a platform for receiving a plurality of articles;
• a plurality of sorting bins, each bin in corresponding to an article type;
• an object recognition system for identifying the article on the platform and categorizing said article by specific article type;
• said object recognition system including a 3D detector for detecting said article and a database containing data on characteristics of article types;
• said 3D detector arranged to capture at least one two-dimensional image, and at least one depth image of said article;
• and
• an article engagement assembly for engaging and delivering said article to said corresponding sorting bin;
• wherein the object recognition system is arranged to:
• digitally remove background from said captured depth image, and identify the article based upon the data within said database, and instruct the article engagement assembly to engage and place the article in said sorting bin, wherein said data includes a range of images of the article taken from different perspectives,
• wherein the article engagement assembly includes an end-effector for engaging the article, said end-effector mounted to a robotic arm, said robotic arm arranged to move said end-effector from the platform to said sorting bins;
• wherein said robotic arm including a plurality of branches each having at least one end effector mounted thereto, and
• wherein the article engagement assembly and the 3D detector are arranged to be separate from each other such that the depth image of said article also includes said end-effector in the depth image.