Delta Machine Vision Solution Helps AGVs/AMRs Avoid Collisions and Ensures Transport Efficiency

To fulfill the increasingly diversified demands of manufacturing, businesses have started to implement automated transport equipment in factories and warehouses to ensure 24/7 smooth operation and enhance productivity via human-robot collaboration. Automated transport equipment is specialized for repetitive tasks, transporting heavier loads, handling hazardous raw materials, and carrying fragile WIP and finished products. Automated equipment can operate without breaks in areas difficult for on-site operators to access, increase throughput, and enable record tracking to boost picking efficiency and prevent transportation hazards or goods damage.

Common automated transport equipment includes Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs). AGVs navigate by rails, positioning devices, or programmed paths pre-installed by operators. AMRs, in contrast, collect data of the surroundings using built-in or peripheral sensors via wireless transmission to generate optimized paths automatically. AGVs and AMRs require precise measurement, recognition, and positioning to acquire spatial information to operate effectively with on-site operators and other machines.

Despite the benefits AGVs/AMRs offer, there are limitations as well. First, AGVs/AMRs still rely on intensive manual recommissioning to adapt to complex environments and heavy traffic in factories and warehouses. Second, collisions may happen from time to time, and AGVs/AMRs require real-time visual data to detect obstacles, trigger alerts, decelerate, and recalculate their paths to minimize the risks such as damaged goods, machine downtime, or staff injury.

Based on solid knowledge of on-site demands in different industries, Delta has launched an integrated machine vision solution that is best suited for robots and automated transport equipment. The solution combines Delta’s 3D ToF Smart Camera DMV-T and the Machine Vision Software DIAVision to enable object measurement, recognition, and positioning with a user-friendly interface for AGV/AMR navigation.

Delta’s 3D ToF Smart Camera DMV-T employs Time of Flight (ToF) technology to calculate distance and depth by measuring the time taken for infrared to travel between the camera and the target without ambient light interference. DMV-T can capture 60 images per second and conduct precise, high resolution 3D imaging on moving vehicles or in environments with very low light or high contrast lighting. The isolated I/O channels ensure stable transmission without interference for detection and movement triggers.

The Machine Vision Software DIAVision allows users to set the AGV/AMR alert zone within 6 meters of DMV-T’s working range, and the DMV-T supports dual signal output and event trigger setting for different hazard levels. When an object enters the alert zone, the software issues an alert and slows or stops the AGVs/AMRs to wait for operators to clear obstacles or adjust the path before resuming course.

Delta’s integrated machine vision solution offers the following benefits:
 

AGVs/AMRs require accurate visual data to help streamline the manufacturing process in factories and warehouses. Combining the 3D ToF Smart Camera with software DIAVision, Delta’s integrated machine vision solution strengthens workplace security and accelerates automated transport equipment deployment to enhance efficiency and throughput while reducing manpower maintenance costs in the era of smart manufacturing.

To learn more about collision avoidance, check out the latest video online:
https://youtu.be/KO7Z0Jx7hms

More success stories of the Delta 3D ToF Camera DMV-T:
https://www.deltaww.com/en-US/landing/IA-DMV-T-3D

For more solution details, please contact Delta’s experts:
https://forms.gle/kxXn9FmyZVi1AQs39