| Project Reference: | ITP/051/24LP |
| Project Title: | Intelligent Gripper with Pick and Place Algorithms for E-commerce Fulfillment |
| Hosting Institution: | LSCM R&D Centre (LSCM) |
| Abstract: | The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been profound, fundamentally reshaping consumer behavior and accelerating the growth of e-commerce worldwide. In recent years, Hong Kong's e-commerce industry has faced shortage of packing workers, a challenge made more acute by the labor-intensive nature of the packing processes. Packers manually extract ordered items from plastic tote boxes, place them into shipping boxes, seal the packages, and affix shipping labels. The repetitive cycle of loading and unloading e-commerce items can lead to fatigue and diminished efficiency among workers. To address these challenges, we propose the development of a multi-degree-of-freedom robotic device specifically designed for e-commerce packing tasks. This project will leverage a robotic arm equipped with a gripper and a sophisticated pick-and-place algorithm to streamline the packing process. This robotic system will: Establish picking sequences for transferring items from tote boxes to shipping boxes. Optimize holding positions to facilitate easy barcode scanning during the pick-and-place process. Ensure the placement of scanned items within shipping boxes. Additionally, various procedures such as flipping shipping boxes, applying adhesive tape, affixing labels, loading boxes onto conveyors, and preparing new shipping boxes for subsequent orders can all be accomplished using existing automation technologies. |
| Project Coordinator: | Mr Wing Leung Chow |
| Approved Funding Amount: | HK$ 2.61M |
| Project Period: | 1 Feb 2025 - 31 July 2026 |
