Universal Robotics is uniquely qualified to provide intelligent flexible automation applications. Due to unanticipated variation in object orientation and random location, automated flexible solutions require 3D sensing, reactive control and spatial intelligence. These three requirements – sensing, control, and intelligence – form the three product families underlying Universal’s applications: Spatial Vision, Autonomy, and Neocortex. Universal Robotics develops applications that react and adapt to their surroundings, and perform tasks that are costly, dangerous or difficult for humans to undertake.
Universal Robotics 3D Inspection application delivers true 3D accuracy up to +/- 0.25mm using just the right mix of sensors – whether cameras, state-of-the-art structured light sensors, lasers, infrared signals or other devices. Through high-speed parallel processing, Universal delivers speeds up to 10X traditional methods for combining inspection with a robotic pick and place, or for large parts up to 1,500mm randomly located in a space up to 10M long. It can inspect a wide range of fixed or deformable objects, either clear or reflective, as well as deliver qualitative assessments of surfaces such as wood.
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that transportation and warehousing has the highest non-fatal occupational injury rate of all sectors. Overexertion injuries are the biggest cause of this injury incident rate. To mitigate these risks in a cost effective way, Universal targets robotic applications such as mixed depalletization, random bag picking, and random bin picking.
Inbound logistics specialists purchase, coordinate, and move materials, parts, and finished inventory from suppliers to plants, warehouses, distribution centers and stores. These workers unload trucks often piled high with boxes of various sizes, and depalletize partial or full pallets with mixed cases. Most retail businesses unload 10 to 25 boxes or cases per minute. Maximum weight of such boxes is typically 60 – 75 lbs (34 kg). Thus most logistics solutions can be automated with a robotic solution that identifies and moves up to 30 random cases per minute weighing up to 75 pounds each.
Identifying complex parts randomly placed in a bin is a specialty of Universal Robotics. With the introduction of the Random Bin Picking application, Universal delivers a high-resolution structured light sensor combined with GigE cameras for 3D resolution down to 0.5mm. Random bin picking is often combined with part inspection prior to placing the part in the next step of the process.
Universal Robotics brings expertise to enable identifying a wide range of deformable bags. Universal’s patent pending technology found in the Random Bag Picking application enables object recognition of highly reflective bags with or without labels, including partially filled clear bags. Whether the bags are black, white, Mylar or clear, this Random Bag Picker can locate the bag for real-time robot vision guidance.
Universal Robotics Random Box Moving and Unlimited Depalletizing Applications are the industry’s first applications to handle multiple cases or boxes in any random orientation. These applications use a combination of Microsoft Kinect structured light sensor with two pairs of USB cameras for robust identification of any box size from 12″ x 12″ x 6″ up to 48″ x 48″ x 48″. These applications easily handle a box with a wide variety of different shipping or SKU labels, making it ideal for handling the variety found in a distribution center. The Unlimited Depalletizing Application is the industry’s first to handle any SKU, even those never seen before, in any position regardless of the number of labels or color of box.
Software Products Provide Application Platform
• Spatial Vision Inspection provides multi-dimensional inspection and tracking of complex objects up to 1,500mm in size randomly moving or located in spaces up to 10M at 10X the speed of traditional methods
• Universal’s Spatial Vision Robotics uses 2D, 2½D, and 3D sensing to provide real-time vision guidance up to 6 degrees of freedom for robotic and machine control
• As the requirements for increased throughput and finer 3D accuracy become more rigorous, Universal’s Autonomy provides enhanced control of robots and delivers the needed performance
• Universal’s patented Neocortex provides intelligence for operational analysis or flexible machine control in chaotic environments, enabling identification of task patterns and manipulation of never-before-seen objects.
