This project is called “Container Unloading using Mobile Manipulator." Collaborative robots and mobile robots are currently high-demand emerging technologies for our business. We’ve partnered with the NSW government to deliver courses in this area to meet future national priorities in manufacturing and logistics.

Current Industry Landscape:

• Container unloading is essential for businesses to obtain raw materials.
• Typically, businesses operate 3 shifts with 2 workers per shift to handle a continuous flow of mixed-size and capacity boxes. This is especially true for third-party logistics providers like Toll and DHL.
• Locally and globally, a developed solution has been lacking due to the variations in box sizes and the issue of fallen boxes.

Efficiency and OH&S Standpoint:

• Workers often need to carry 5-10kg boxes and may lift them incorrectly, hurting their backs.
• During transportation, boxes can become unstable and may fall on workers, posing safety risks.
• Efficiency may be reduced due to fatigue and it costs the business money due to container being onsite for too long

Possible Solution:

• We have developed a mobile manipulator solution, which is a collaborative robot (COBOT) mounted on top of an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). However, it lacks the AI vision element to identify mixed boxes.
• With the potential integration of AI enabled camera to identify optimal “picking” positions, this solution could address the challenges posed by mixed-size boxes in various orientations.
• The students will need to create PLC programs to get jobs directly from warehouse management system to autonomously assign jobs for the AMR.