Smart counting method and system in manufacturing

A smart counting system in manufacturing, comprising:

• a platform configured to have three areas including an input area for accommodating a stack of unfinished products, a workspace where a worker processes the unfinished products one by one, and an output area for accommodating a stack of finished products;
• a first tag positioned in the workspace, the first tag being obscured when the worker is processing an unfinished product in the workspace;
• a second tag positioned in the output area, the second tag being obscured when the output area holds one or more finished products;
• a camera configured above the platform and pointing down to the platform, wherein the camera captures real-time image data including data of the workspace and output area;
• and
• a processing unit for receiving and processing the real-time image data from the camera and executing a process based on the real-time image data, the process comprising the following steps:
• determining that an unfinished product in the workspace matches a predetermined pattern and initializing a work count,
• determining that the first tag has been obscured for at least a predetermined time period,
• increasing the work count upon detecting a motion in the output area, and
• repeating determining that the first tag has been obscured for at least the predetermined time period and increasing the work count upon detecting a motion in the output area until that the second tag is detected in the output area.