The first self-checkout system was installed in 1986 at a Kroger grocery store outside Atlanta. It took several decades, but the technology finally spread throughout the United States. Given the automation trend grocery stores are heading toward, it seems like automated packaging can’t be too far away.
MIT’s CSAIL division is showcasing this week RobojackeryThis system combines computer vision with a soft robotic grip to package a wide range of different items. To test the system, the researchers placed 10 objects unknown to the robot on a grocery conveyor belt.
Products ranged from delicate items like grapes, bread, turnips, cookies and crackers to more solid items like soup cans, lunch boxes and ice cream containers. The vision system goes first, detecting objects before determining their size and orientation on the belt.
When the grabber touches the grape, pressure sensors in the fingers determine that the grape is in fact tender and therefore should not go to the bottom of the bag – something many of us have undoubtedly learned the hard way. Next, he notices that the can of soup has a more solid structure and places it at the bottom of the bag.
“This is an important first step toward making robots capable of packing groceries and other items in real-world environments,” said Anan Zhang, one of the study’s lead authors. “Although we are not quite ready for commercial deployment, our research demonstrates the power of integrating multiple sensors into robotic systems.” “Soft.”
The team points out that there is still plenty of room for improvement, including upgrades to the gripper and imaging system to better determine how and in what order objects are packed. As the system grows stronger, it may also expand beyond grocery into more industrial spaces such as recycling plants.