A material handling system for singulation of items is described. The material handling system can include, a singulation conveyor with a mechanical actuator. The mechanical actuator can be configured to manipulate an item on the singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can comprise a sensing unit comprising an imaging device that can be configured to capture an image of a zone of a singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can have a control unit that can be configured to classify, based on a classification model and the image, the item into a category. The category can be indicative of an orientation of the item with respect to another item and a conveying surface of the singulation conveyor. Further, the control unit can be configured to, generate instructions to cause actuation of a mechanical actuator to perform a singulation action based on the classification associated with the item.

The invention relates to a package collecting apparatus for a package handling installation for unloading a plurality of packages from a transport supply means of the package handling installation and moving unloaded packages to a transport discharge means of the package handling installation, wherein the package collecting apparatus comprises a collecting element, which has a bearing surface for at least one package during the movement from the transport supply means to the transport discharge means, and at least one lateral element arranged thereon which can be moved between an inoperative position and a working position and which has a further bearing surface for at least one package, wherein, with the lateral element in the working position, the bearing surface of the lateral element adjoins the bearing surface of the collecting element flush, and the package collecting apparatus additionally comprises a coupling device for mechanical releasable coupling to the transport discharge means. The invention additionally relates to a package handling installation comprising such a package collecting apparatus.

A material handling system for singulation of items is described. The material handling system can include, a singulation conveyor with a mechanical actuator. The mechanical actuator can be configured to manipulate an item on the singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can comprise a sensing unit comprising an imaging device that can be configured to capture an image of a zone of a singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can have a control unit that can be configured to classify, based on a classification model and the image, the item into a category. The category can be indicative of an orientation of the item with respect to another item and a conveying surface of the singulation conveyor. Further, the control unit can be configured to, generate instructions to cause actuation of a mechanical actuator to perform a singulation action based on the classification associated with the item.

A material handling system for singulation of items is described. The material handling system can include, a singulation conveyor with a mechanical actuator. The mechanical actuator can be configured to manipulate an item on the singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can comprise a sensing unit comprising an imaging device that can be configured to capture an image of a zone of a singulation conveyor. Further, the material handling system can have a control unit that can be configured to classify, based on a classification model and the image, the item into a category. The category can be indicative of an orientation of the item with respect to another item and a conveying surface of the singulation conveyor. Further, the control unit can be configured to, generate instructions to cause actuation of a mechanical actuator to perform a singulation action based on the classification associated with the item.

A robotic singulation system is disclosed. In various embodiments, sensor data including image data associated with a workspace is received. The sensor data is used to generate a three dimensional view of at least a portion of the workspace, the three dimensional view including boundaries of a plurality of items present in the workspace. A grasp strategy is determined for each of at least a subset of items, and for each grasp strategy a corresponding probability of grasp success is computed. The grasp strategies and corresponding probabilities of grasp success are used to determine and implement a plan to autonomously operate a robotic structure to pick one or more items from the workplace and place each item singly in a corresponding location in a singulation conveyance structure.

A system for distributing a stream of articles includes a belt assembly (210) with a plurality of belt segments (212) carrying a stream of articles (150), a sensor assembly (220) with a plurality of sensors (222), a control system (240) interfacing with the belt assembly (210) and the sensor assembly (220), wherein the sensor assembly (220) determines spacing (230) in the stream of articles (150), and wherein the control system (240) controls a speed of the plurality of belt segments (212) to minimize the spacing (230) in the stream of articles (150) when the spacing (230) is greater than a predefined threshold.

A system for distributing a stream of articles includes a belt assembly (210) with a plurality of belt segments (212) carrying a stream of articles (150), a sensor assembly (220) with a plurality of sensors (222), a control system (240) interfacing with the belt assembly (210) and the sensor assembly (220), wherein the sensor assembly (220) determines spacing (230) in the stream of articles (150), and wherein the control system (240) controls a speed of the plurality of belt segments (212) to minimize the spacing (230) in the stream of articles (150) when the spacing (230) is greater than a predefined threshold.

A robotic singulation system is disclosed. In various embodiments, sensor data including image data associated with a workspace is received. The sensor data is used to generate a three dimensional view of at least a portion of the workspace, the three dimensional view including boundaries of a plurality of items present in the workspace. The three dimensional view as generated at successive points in time is used to model a flow of at least a subset of said plurality of items through at least a portion of the workspace. The model is used to determine and implement a plan to autonomously operate a robotic structure to pick one or more items from the workplace and place each item singly in a corresponding location in a singulation conveyance structure.

A robotic singulation system is disclosed. In various embodiments, sensor data including image data associated with a workspace is received. The sensor data is used to generate a three dimensional view of at least a portion of the workspace, the three dimensional view including boundaries of a plurality of items present in the workspace. The three dimensional view as generated at successive points in time is used to model a flow of at least a subset of said plurality of items through at least a portion of the workspace. The model is used to determine and implement a plan to autonomously operate a robotic structure to pick one or more items from the workplace and place each item singly in a corresponding location in a singulation conveyance structure.

Devices, systems, and methods for isolating an insect pupa from an aqueous solution including a plurality of insect pupae. An isolation device may include a primary channel through which the aqueous solution and insect pupae travel, an outlet, and a secondary channel that intersects the primary channel. The secondary channel may transport a fluid to add it to the primary channel between an inlet and the outlet. When the sealable outlet is closed, an insect pupa located downstream of the intersection of the primary and secondary channels remains stationary while any insect pupae upstream of the intersection are pushed towards the inlet. The systems and methods described herein may also provide for identifying and sorting insect pupae.