Development of a vision system for the flexible packing of random shapes

In this paper we put forward a framework for the flexible packing of planar shapes, of random shape and size, under visual control. The basic aim of this system is not only to be able to produce an efficient packing strategy, but a strategy that is also flexible enough for industrial use, and as such the method taken emphasises the systems approach to dealing with industrial vision problems. This framework consists of two major components, namely a morphological based geometric packing approach used in conjunction with a heuristic packing procedure. Some of the considerations included at a heuristic level include shape ordering and shape orientation, both of which must be carried out prior to the application of the shapes to the geometric packer. The heuristic component also deals with the context information specific to our application. We will also discuss the various issues that arise from this approach, such as the systems properties and performance, within the background of some sample applications. The ideas outlined in this paper are currently been used in the development of a visually controlled intelligent packing work cell.