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Revolutionary visual picking technology by KNAPP

12.01.2010

The overwhelming response to KiSoft VISION shows that innovative power is clearly recognized. The strong interaction with potential users has a profound influence on usability design and the range of functions.

Some two years ago, KNAPP decided to go into the development of the product KiSoft VISION with requirements of creating a visually guided manual picking system. It was essential to integrate all advantages of proven technologies such as picking by voice or mobile terminals. In addition further demands on the system were defined:

  • Navigation system within the warehouse
  • Visual picking instructions
  • Fully automatic tracking of serial numbers and lot IDs
  • No training time for operators required
  • 100% error-free picking
  • No additional infrastructure in the warehouse

These demands are realized by combining four different technologies. The basic technologies for KiSoft VISION include a camera, a head-mounted display, barcodes within the warehouse and suitable software. Order handling with this mobile unit is carried out in the following steps: The operator activates KiSoft VISION; the system then indicates the route to the target location on the head-mounted display. The location is marked in colour and the required product is displayed. KiSoft VISION ensures that the picked product is correct, reads the serial number and lot ID in the same step and indicates the correct target container.
The current prototype, presented to numerous customers in the course of the Month of Visitors event in Hart bei Graz, includes all of the above-mentioned features. Here, augmented reality is the key to success. This technology makes it possible to enhance the real-life video signal recorded by the camera, by electronic information and pictures. To the user, environment and visual information seem to merge to a new picture. This assistance information is visualized with perfect timing at the correct spot as part of the real-life surroundings. In addition the software can extract information from the camera signal. Serial numbers and lot IDs are registered without a further work step. As an option a record of the picking process can be activated to be used in case of customer complaints.

The next steps in development will focus on selecting the most suitable combination of head-mounted display and camera. KNAPP pays special attention to usability, convenience and comfortable design. The close contact with existing customers has helped to understand the requirements in daily business and to include such demands in the product KiSoft VISION. Universities and research institutions were intensely involved in the project on the quality side.

The next steps, before launching the product on the market, include testing the product in trial runs as well as installing a solution at a reference customer site by June 2010. The experiences gained in both installations will then be incorporated in the system. The pace of development for these four basic technologies used in the system fully meets the expectations laid down two years ago. There is a boom in the development of head-mounted displays and everyone familiar with mobile phones and digital cameras will know the speed at which cameras evolve. New generations of barcodes make it possible to save an ever-increasing volume of data, and in augmented reality software we are experiencing an innovative surge. Before this background, it will be possible to attain the scheduled time to market in 2010.
 



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