Factories and warehouses are busy environments with a mix of people and machinery that offers potential for injury through collisions and accidents. As autonomous vehicles are introduced into these environments, the complexity only increases.
We have developed technology to help manage these risks, providing real-time 3D situational awareness through the use of off the shelf security cameras, offering added safety for AGV (automated guided vehicles) and vehicle movement around staff as well as advanced analytics providing real-time feedback and data for understanding and optimising factory flow.
Technology
This technology provides a scaleable and cost-effective solution to the increased complexity of environments in factories and warehouses. Using the advanced algorithm developed by CSIRO a 3D reconstruction of the objects that are moved in the environment is calculated and tracked. Features of this technology include:
- Real-Time The real-time information can be used to support operations on the floor. Offering the ability to nominate zones around vehicles for staff or to set other rules.
- Forklifts Information can be delivered to forklift operators that there are staff or blockages around blind corners.
- AGV In addition to the onboard sensors an AGV already has, this technology allows for anything blocking a point anywhere along its path to be identified early for removal. Additionally, the 3D information can identify overhangs that standard 2D safety LiDAR cannot detect.
- Analytics All of this information can be recorded onto a database to be analysed to identify the flow of materials around a factory or warehouse. The goal is to provide information over an entire factory floor that can identify vehicle and people movement (whilst maintaining an individual's privacy). This information can be used to improve safety and optimise factory floors.
Applications
This technology can be applied to any complex environment such as those found in factories and warehouses and has already been technically proven in indoor areas where lighting conditions are controlled. We are currently seeking expressions of interest for deploying the existing technology.
We are also extending the existing technology to outdoor and mixed indoor/outdoor settings so are seeking suitable partners to trial the indoor/outdoor extended technology.
Intellectual property
The Situational Awareness Monitoring technology is currently covered by an international PCT patent application.
The team
We are a multidisciplinary team from CSIRO Data61 and minerals business units. We have applied our experience in camera systems (computer vision) and software engineering to develop this system over the last four years. We have extensive experience working with industrial partners, both large and small businesses.