Product Detection, tracking and counting using Vision AI

Published April 05, 2024

The landscape of industrial automation is undergoing a seismic shift with the arrival of Vision AI, also known as Computer Vision AI. This innovative technology utilizes powerful AI algorithms and machine learning techniques to revolutionize how products are handled throughout production processes within manufacturing facilities.

• Detection and Recognition of products: Vision AI systems excel at identifying and recognizing a wide range of objects, from finished products and raw materials to individual items and components. This allows for precise tracking and monitoring of products within production lines, assembly lines, shipping zones etc.
• Automating Counting with Accuracy: Gone are the days of time-consuming manual counting. Vision AI automates the process, delivering highly accurate counts with exceptional efficiency. This eliminates human error and streamlines production workflows.
• Enhanced Monitoring Capabilities: By constantly capturing visual data, Vision AI empowers manufacturers with real-time insights into their production lines. This allows for proactive identification of potential issues and ensures optimal production flow.

Product detection and counting

Ensuring accurate product counts on production and inspection lines is crucial for any manufacturer. However, traditional methods often fall short. Let's explore the challenges and a new, smarter solution:

The Limitations of Old Systems: Many manufacturers rely on outdated sensor-based counting systems. These systems are often:

• Costly: The upfront investment can be significant.
• High Maintenance: These systems require regular upkeep and can be prone to breakdowns. If any sensor breaks, it takes time to replace it and that hampers the production.
• Limited Adaptability: They struggle to adapt to different product shapes or production line changes.
• Difficult to set up: These systems are not available in Amazon and It is always a long process to procure them. You also need trained professionals to set up these systems.

Vision AI, a better alternative

Thankfully, artificial intelligence (AI) offers a revolutionary approach to product recognition and counting. Here's how Vision AI works:

• Smart Counting with Cameras: Vision AI utilizes readily available cameras instead of expensive sensors. The AI system eliminates the need for expensive sensor-based systems, making it a more economical solution.
• AI-Powered Object Recognition: You train a Vision AI model with images of your specific products, components, or parts. The AI learns to recognize these objects with exceptional accuracy. Since the AI software runs on a cloud, it is easy to scale up and maintain. Moreover, adding cameras is simple compared to replacing entire sensor systems. This allows Vision AI to adapt to changing production needs.
• Effortless Counting, Flawless Results: Once trained, the Vision AI system automatically counts the recognized objects moving along the production line, delivering highly accurate results.

Counting discrepancies: A common problem for manufacturing

Counting discrepancies between products leaving the facility and what arrives at the customer's location is a common issue across the manufacturing sector. This often leads to:

• Frustrated Customers: Missing items translate to unhappy customers and damaged brand reputation.
• Reshipments and Hassle: Miscounts necessitate reshipments, incurring additional costs and wasting valuable time.
• Inventory Inaccuracy: Inconsistent counts lead to inaccurate inventory data, hindering production planning and fulfillment.

Thankfully, Vision AI offers a powerful solution using readily available cameras in the dispatch area:

• Accurate Counts, Every Time: The AI system continuously observes and counts various products, kits, and packages moving through the shipping line. This ensures near-perfect accuracy, eliminating discrepancies that plague traditional methods.
• Real-Time Alerts: The system can be configured to generate instant alerts if a miscount is detected in the packaging process. This allows for immediate intervention and correction, preventing incorrect shipments from reaching customers.
• Data-Driven Insights: Vision AI generates detailed reports on product movement. This valuable data empowers manufacturers to identify potential bottlenecks and optimize their shipping processes.

Object detection and Defect detection

To detect defecting products within the manufacturing and assembly line, it is important to detect the product first. Products can move through a conveyor belt of where cameras can be installed. AI first detects the product and then it looks for defects within the product

Component, parts and item detection in visual inspection for quality control

In the world of electronics manufacturing, ensuring flawless PCB or circuit boards or IC is paramount. Here's where Vision AI shines:

• Component Recognition with Precision: Vision AI systems can be trained on a library of images containing different electronic components. This empowers them to recognize each component precisely within a complex circuit board.
• Defect Detection Made Easy: Once components are recognized, Vision AI can be trained to identify a wide range of defects, including:
• Missing Components: The system can flag any empty spots where a component should be present.
• Incorrect Component Count: Vision AI ensures the exact number of components matches the design specifications.
• Defective Components: AI algorithms can be trained to detect visual anomalies that might indicate a faulty component.

You need an AI platform or a software studio

Vision AI's potential is undeniable, but implementation of vision AI might be challenging without a robust and secured AI platform. You need an AI studio that will allow you to train, deploy and run your AI application easily.

Vision AEye platform is an out of the box solution that can be used to develop, deploy and run vision AI systems effortlessly. This is a no-code platform that removes the need for extensive coding knowledge. The AI software studio allows you to train AI models securely and privately using images of their own products and objects. You can run the AI on a secured cloud. Additionally, integrating cameras from your manufacturing site into the AI system is straightforward, requiring just a few clicks. Such an AI platform is crucial for implementing industrial AI applications, as it makes the AI development and deployment process by 10X faster.

Vision AI is rapidly becoming the go-to solution for product recognition, counting and defect detection in manufacturing. Its affordability, adaptability, and superior accuracy provide a compelling alternative to outdated methods, paving the way for a future of smarter and more efficient production processes.