Visions of the future

Not that long ago, laser-scanned barcodes brought about a revolution in product handling. Now camera-based vision systems, backed by advances in optical character recognition, are capturing the limelight. Laser scanners have trouble reading damaged, poor quality, dirty or marked codes, as anyone who has been kept waiting at a supermarket check-out queue will be only too aware. Failure rates are said to be as high as 6%. This is a particular problem in parcel-sorting operations, which need this information to be gathered automatically and quickly, in order to send parcels to correct destinations. One company to come up with a solution is Vitronic, headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany, with a sales office in Nottingham. It supplies auto-focusing, line scan, camera-based systems that capture images of labels, enhance and then read them, using optical character recognition. Capturing delivery addresses, as well as barcodes, is a real plus in parcel tracking and has been shown to reduce the need for manual intervention. Cameras are also far more mechanically robust than laser scanners, because they scan electronically and do not depend on a moving mirror. In the event that a label cannot be read, its image is sent to a video-coding terminal where it can be manually entered. Since the image appears at the terminal 300ms after it is captured, address details can be entered in time for the sorter to process the parcel and send it to its correct destination. As the system captures the images, it automatically stores and logs them in a database. Camera systems can be configured to read labels anywhere – on the front, back, top, bottom or sides of a parcel – with the label being in any orientation on these faces. Moreover, Vitronic claims its systems can even recognise codes and characters behind uneven, soiled or reflective plastic. Another client, Aspray Transport, was looking for a parcel sorting system to improve the speed, productivity and efficiency of its busy warehouse. Vitronic designed and installed a three-camera system that reads five sides of each parcel, along with a video coding terminal. The system handles 5,000 parcels per hour at a sorting speed of 2.2 m/s. “Vitronic provided an outstanding product, plus a seamless service and installation,” says Markus Newport, Aspray Transport’s IT manager. “The investment has meant great benefits for our business and our customers.” The latest development from Vitronic is the Vicam handheld camera scanner. Like the fixed camera products, it features auto-focusing and a resolution of 200 dpi. The company also makes the Volumec HS2 volumetric vision system that can measure the dimensions of packages at speeds of up to 2m/s. The maximum dimensions of the packages can be measured with an accuracy of 5mm for height, and 10mm for height and width. The system calculates the volume of the smallest possible rectangular box surrounding the item. This information is used to control the storage of packaged items and enhance loading of vehicles; gather statistics; and to verify revenue charges. Pointers * System can recognise, read and record bar codes – and even label addresses – with greater accuracy than a laser-based bar code reader * System works at a sorting speed of 2.2 m/s * The same company also makes systems to measure accurately the sizes of packages passing at similar speeds