There is provided an apparatus that can include a fluidic section that comprises an input section. The fluidic section can be configured to receive a fluid including a plurality of parts at the input section. The fluidic section can be configured to receive the fluid at an inlet port of the fluidic section. The fluidic section can include at least two branches extending from the input section, and each of these at least two branches can have an outlet through which the fluid or part of the fluid can be routed. The apparatus can include a set of sensors configured to capture information about the plurality of parts in the fluidic section. The apparatus can further include channels with flow in the same and opposite directions of gravity, with each of these having one or more branches extending from the channels oriented with gravity, and each of these branches can have an outlet through which the fluid or part of the fluid can be routed.

A laundry sorting and evaluation system includes a housing having an opening and defining a laundry path. First and second platforms are positioned within the housing, each operably connected to a motor. First and second cameras are respectively associated with the platforms and are configured to acquire at images of an item of laundry on each of the first and second platforms. A controller is configured to receive the images and produce an evaluation of a condition of the item of laundry based upon the received images.

A device for off-line detection of circumferential appearance quality of cigarettes includes a mechanical system, a vision system and a control system, where the mechanical system includes a hopper, a feed roller, an auto-rotating roller, an upper chute and a lower chute. A method for off-line detection of circumferential appearance quality of cigarettes by using the above device is further provided. The present disclosure can achieve detection without omission to obtain accurate and quantifiable detection results, and has high processing efficiency.

A work cell and method for automatically separating objects disposed in 3D clusters includes dispensing the objects onto a horizontal conveying surface to form a 2D array, reforming the 2D array into a 1D stream in which the objects move in single-file in a predefined moving direction, utilizing a vision-based or other stationary sensing system to identify a selected target object in the 1D stream as the target object passes through an image capture (sensing) region, calculating trajectory data defining the target object's time-based position in the 1D stream, and then utilizing the trajectory data to control a robot arm or other object removal mechanism such that only the selected object is forcibly removed (e.g., swiped or picked-up) from the horizontal conveying surface. A continuous-loop-type conveying mechanism includes two parallel conveyor-belt-type conveying structures and associated belt-switching structures. An AI-powered vision system identifies new object shapes during preliminary learning phases.

A sorting layout for piece goods contains a sorting mechanism and an end position configuration. The end position configuration contains a plurality of end positions, which are arranged in cylinder fashion. The end position configuration also has end positions arranged one on top of another. The sorting mechanism is adapted to pick up piece goods being sorted and to sort them into any one of the end positions of the end position configuration.

Provided is a fruit quality inspecting and sorting appliance. The fruit quality inspecting and sorting appliance includes: a conveying module; a weighing module, which cooperates with the conveying module to convey weighed fruits through the conveying module; an internal quality inspection module, which cooperates with the conveying module and performs an internal quality inspection to the weighed fruits; an external quality inspection module, which cooperates with the conveying module and performs an external quality inspection to the fruits after the internal quality inspection; a sorting module, which cooperates with the conveying module, and sorts the fruits passing through the weighing module, the internal quality inspection module and the external quality inspection module; and a control module electrically connected with the conveying module, the weighing module, the internal quality inspection module, the external quality inspection module and the sorting module.

An article discharge system includes a placement unit in which the article group is placed, plural grippers, a movable member, a robot that moves the movable member, weight acquisition units, and a control unit. The plural grippers grip some articles with gripping member. The plural grippers are attached to the movable member. The weight acquisition units acquire weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips. The control unit moves the movable member, brings the plural grippers closer to the placement unit, causes the plural grippers to grip some of the articles of the article group placed in the placement unit, and, based on the result of a combination calculation using the weight values of the articles that each of the grippers grips and which the weight acquisition units have acquired, causes predetermined grippers among the plural grippers to release the articles and thereby discharge the articles.

A vacuum apparatus equipped with an automatic transport mechanism for transporting a specimen and a sensor for detecting a state of the vacuum apparatus includes: a determining unit which determines whether a recoverable error has occurred based on a signal from the sensor; and a display control unit which causes, when it is determined that a recoverable error has occurred, a display unit to display a procedure of a recovery operation in a wizard format. The display control unit determines whether the recovery operation has been performed according to the procedure displayed on the display unit based on a signal from the sensor, and causes the display unit to display a next procedure of the recovery operation when it is determined that the recovery operation has been performed according to the procedure.

At a conveyor forefront portion, velocity distribution of an airflow is provided. The velocity distribution is wind velocity distribution in a vertical direction of an airflow from a surface of an upper rectifying plate to a surface of a conveyor at the conveyor forefront portion, and has a maximum value in a range of less than 10 mm downward of the vertical direction from the rectifying plate surface. Moreover, a ratio obtained by dividing the maximum value by a wind velocity in the vicinity of the surface of the conveyor is 4 or more, and 12 or less. In a range other than the range of less than 10 mm, the airflow has a wind velocity equal to the wind velocity in the vicinity of the surface of the conveyor.

A typing tunnel off-loading and sorting system includes an off-loading conveyor, cameras and photoelectric eye. The overhead cameras detect the item size and whether it is cubic in nature and type and size of its footprint. An in-line slide sorter having alternating conveyor rollers and pop-up belts pass through to, or divert articles from, a downstream conveyor. The vision based system may also be used to detect space between articles and insert articles in the unoccupied space.