AI-Enabled Robotic Pick and Place

May 17, 2023

ABB’s new Robotic Item Picker uses artificial intelligence to accurately detect and pick items in unstructured environments.

The ABB Robotic Item Picker. Source: ABB

The Robotic Item Picker, recently released by ABB, is a new artificial intelligence (AI) and vision-based robotic system that can determine the optimal grasp points for each item before the suction gripper picks and places the item into designated bins. ABB claims this system has a picking rate of up to 1,400 items per hour and requires no human supervision or information about the physical attributes of the items it picks.

How the ABB Robotic Item Picker identifies objects for picking and placing. Source: ABB

This robotic system—with a payload of up to 3kg and a reach of up to 1.65m—features a robot, suction grippers and a proprietary machine vision software to automate complex picking-and-placing tasks for items such as cuboids, cylinders, pouches, boxes, polybags and blister packs. Such objects have historically required human dexterity and flexibility to accurately handle.

ABB says the Robotic Item Picker can be fitted to its IRB1200, IRB 1300 and IRB 2600 robots.

Control of the Robotic Item Picker is handled by ABB software that integrates all parts of the system and interacts with other peripheral equipment to make it easier for users and OEMs to add components and other functionalities. ABB also offers online training, preventive maintenance and technical online support for this new system.

The ABB Robotic Item Picker can autonomously pick and place objects of various sizes and shapes without pre-programming. Source: ABB

“The explosion of e-commerce, changing consumer demands and global labor shortages are driving the need for flexible automated solutions,” says Daniel Navarro, managing director of consumer segments and service robotics at ABB Robotics. “With its ability to learn and adapt in constantly changing warehouse environments, our AI-enabled Robotic Item Picker sees items and decides how to pick them, at speed, with more than 99.5% efficiency.”