Ocado's New Robot Can Recognize And Pack 50,000 Grocery Items

Ocado Technology has developed a robot that aims to recognise and sort over 50,000 unique items from its storage crates. The robot pick station consists of a suction cup on the end of an articulated arm. The arm is equipped with a pipe running to an air compressor, which is capable of lifting items regardless of their shape, as long as they are within the weight restriction. Built-in sensors avoid the risk of crushing or damaging during picking. The same technology is also used when placing the picked item into the customer crate to avoid items already packed being crushed by other incoming items. The system also ensures that the items are only released if they can be placed without protruding from the delivery crate.