Container tracking

1

Hi, in my application I need to track containers from the arm of a reach stacker when the containers are loaded. What I have to do is the following:

  1. I have to detect the container presence when they are loaded from the arm
  2. I have to read their id using pattern detection/deep learning + ocr
  3. I have to track the container movement (via gps tracking)
  4. I have to detect if the container is been loaded or unloaded

My problem is that I don’t exactly know how and where to place the camera and also I have the problem that when the reach stacker stretch out the arm, the container goes out of the camera’s line of sight.

Below is an example of reach stacker with a loaded container.

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image1200×955 131 KB

For my setup, for container detection, I was thinking of using a lidar or any distance measuring sensor, but I don’t know how to solve the problem I have when the container disappears from the camera’s line of sight.

For identification detection and recognition I will use C++ and OpenCV.
I would need help with general configuration. A financial agreement can be evaluated if concrete long term help and assistance can be received.

2

I’d recommend handing this task off to some company that has experience in these things. there are bound to be some that already have a solution ready to buy, or something they can customize quickly. this is not something you can sensibly foist off on some freelancer or one-man “company”.

is anything useful printed on the top of the container? if so, there goes the camera.

if not, I’d place it near the pivot point of the arm.

or further forward, but then you might need something more fisheye.

the cognitive/AI part will not be a weekend project. far from it.

and all the regular software engineering to collect and manage all the data is a whole project of its own.

you really need to call up companies.

3

About the cognitive/Ai part we have the necessary expertise, that’s not my problem. My problem is how to handle the fact that the container goes out of the camera line of sight so I was thinking about a servo to move the camera accordingly to the container movements

4

moving parts? will break/be broken. do not overcomplicate it. imagine having to maintain that… or will other people do that? imagine them knowing who you are.

just mount the camera in portrait mode and/or get one with wider field of view.