Apparatus and method for packing heterogeneous objects

A processor implemented method, the method comprising:

• receiving data pertaining to each of a plurality of 3D objects using a conveyor vision sensor associated with a primary conveyor, wherein the data comprising a length (1), a height (h), a width (w), a tracking code and an orientation of each of the plurality of 3D objects;
• computing a dimension associated with each of the plurality of 3D objects based on the data;
• simultaneously identifying a cuboidal bin, corresponding to each of the plurality of 3D objects, from a plurality of cuboidal bins corresponding to each of a plurality of secondary conveyors by comparing the tracking code of each of plurality of 3D object with a code number of the each of the plurality of cuboidal bins,
• wherein each of the plurality of cuboidal bins is associated with a length (L), a width (W), a height (H) and the code number,
• wherein the height (H) is segmented into a plurality of parts (p) based on one of, a height distribution of 3D objects and an associated expert knowledge,
• wherein a plurality of layers corresponding to each of the plurality of cuboidal bins are determined based on the plurality of parts,
• wherein each of the plurality of layers is associated with a corresponding state space forming a plurality of state spaces corresponding to each of the plurality of cuboidal bins,
• wherein a plurality of cells in each of the plurality of state spaces is determined by dividing each of the plurality of state space into a plurality of rows (m) and a plurality of columns (n), wherein a sum of the plurality of rows is equivalent to the width (W) and a sum of the plurality of columns is equivalent to the length (L), and
• wherein each of the plurality of state spaces corresponding to each of the plurality of bins is initialized by filling each of the plurality of cells with zeros;
• simultaneously receiving a space availability data of the identified cuboidal bin using a corresponding bin vision sensor, wherein each of the plurality of cuboidal bins is associated with the corresponding bin vision sensor;
• simultaneously computing a dimension of an un-occupied space of the identified state space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin based on the plurality of rows (m) and the plurality of columns (n) filled with zeros;
• computing an available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin based on the space availability data and the dimension of an un-occupied space;
• comparing the computed available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin and the dimension associated with the corresponding 3D object;
• diverting each of the plurality of 3D objects from the primary conveyor towards the corresponding un-occupied state space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin through the corresponding secondary conveyor by:
• raising a corresponding vertical plate of the primary conveyor nearer to the available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin;
• and
• dropping the corresponding 3D object on a free roller arrangement of a vertically movable horizontal frame of the corresponding identified bin, when the dimension of the available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin and the dimension of the corresponding 3D object matches;
• updating the corresponding occupied state space with ones based on the space availability data obtained from the bin vision sensor of the identified cuboidal bin after placing the 3D object;
• and
• updating a position of the vertically movable horizontal frame of the identified bin to a next layer based on the plurality of parts, when the corresponding state space is occupied, wherein updating the position of the vertically movable horizontal frame of the identified cuboidal bin is continued until the corresponding identified cuboidal bin is full, wherein the free rolling fixture of the vertically movable horizontal frame retracts and a hanging part of a corresponding rolling shutter rolls up when the corresponding identified cuboidal bin is full.

A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying a program executable in a computing device for executing a method for packing heterogeneous objects, the program comprising:

• receiving data pertaining to each of a plurality of 3D objects using a conveyor vision sensor associated with a primary conveyor, wherein the data comprising a length (1), a height (h), a width (w), a tracking code and an orientation of each of the plurality of 3D objects;
• computing a dimension associated with each of the plurality of 3D objects based on the data;
• simultaneously identifying a cuboidal bin, corresponding to each of the plurality of 3D objects, from a plurality of cuboidal bins corresponding to each of a plurality of secondary conveyors by comparing the tracking code of each of plurality of 3D object with a code number of the each of the plurality of cuboidal bins,
• wherein each of the plurality of cuboidal bins is associated with a length (L), a width (W), a height (H) and the code number,
• wherein the height (H) is segmented into a plurality of parts (p) based on one of, a height distribution of 3D objects and an associated expert knowledge,
• wherein a plurality of layers corresponding to each of the plurality of cuboidal bins are determined based on the plurality of parts,
• wherein each of the plurality of layers is associated with a corresponding state space forming a plurality of state spaces corresponding to each of the plurality of cuboidal bins,
• wherein a plurality of cells in each of the plurality of state spaces is determined by dividing each of the plurality of state space into a plurality of rows (m) and a plurality of columns (n), wherein a sum of the plurality of rows is equivalent to the width (W) and a sum of the plurality of columns is equivalent to the length (L), and
• wherein each of the plurality of state spaces corresponding to each of the plurality of bins is initialized by filling each of the plurality of cells with zeros;
• simultaneously receiving a space availability data of the identified cuboidal bin using a corresponding bin vision sensor, wherein each of the plurality of cuboidal bins is associated with the corresponding bin vision sensor;
• simultaneously computing a dimension of an un-occupied space of the identified state space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin based on the plurality of rows (m) and the plurality of columns (n) filled with zeros;
• computing an available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin based on the space availability data and the dimension of an un-occupied space;
• comparing the computed available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin and the dimension associated with the corresponding 3D object;
• diverting each of the plurality of 3D objects from the primary conveyor towards the corresponding un-occupied state space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin through the corresponding secondary conveyor by:
• raising a corresponding vertical plate of the primary conveyor nearer to the available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin;
• and
• dropping the corresponding 3D object on a free roller arrangement of a vertically movable horizontal frame of the corresponding identified bin, when the dimension of the available bin space of the corresponding identified cuboidal bin and the dimension of the corresponding 3D object matches;
• updating the corresponding occupied state space with ones based on the space availability data obtained from the bin vision sensor of the identified cuboidal bin after placing the 3D object;
• and
• updating a position of the vertically movable horizontal frame of the identified bin to a next layer based on the plurality of parts, when the corresponding state space is occupied, wherein updating the position of the vertically movable horizontal frame of the identified cuboidal bin is continued until the corresponding identified cuboidal bin is full, wherein the free rolling fixture of the vertically movable horizontal frame retracts and a hanging part of a corresponding rolling shutter rolls up when the corresponding identified cuboidal bin is full.