From May 29th to June 2nd, one of the most influential robotics conferences, the 2023 IEEE RAS International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), was successfully held in London.

During the conference on June 1st, the results of the ICRA 2023 Virtual Manipulation Challenge: Stacking were officially announced. This competition was sponsored by Vanderlande, a leading international logistics integrator, and Fraunhofer IPA, Europe's largest application-oriented research institution. Over 30 outstanding teams worldwide participated in this challenge, showcasing their planning algorithm capabilities in logistics and mixed palletizing scenarios.

XYZ Robotics, a Top 3 candidate for the Soft Prize, attended the final competition and delivered a speech alongside the other three finalists. Our innovative mixed case palletizing algorithm ranked among the top 3 in all mixed palletizing scenarios and achieved first place in scenario 2 (Hybrid packing with lookahead)!

Evaluation and Three Given Scenarios

The table below shows the evaluation criteria for the mixed palletizing algorithm and the weights that will be used to score the different criteria:

Scenario 1: Adhoc packing (no lookahead, no sequencing)

XYZ Robotics' fill rate: 59.84%

Scenario 2: Hybrid packing with lookahead (lookahead=20, no sequencing)

* Lookahead = 20: At every placement, the weight & dimensions of the next 20 parcels are known.

XYZ Robotics' fill rate: 73.58%

Scenario 3: Hybrid packing with lookahead and sequencing (lookahead=20, buffer=3)

XYZ Robotics' fill rate: 74.56%

Stable High Loading Rate

Flexible Mixed Case Palletizing Modes

Based on the smart pallet planning algorithm, XYZ Robotics' mixed case palletizing solution generates optimized stacks in a short time. It ensures a stable pallet pattern and a high loading rate (up to 1.8 m with over 5 layers).

The mixed case palletizing solution supports three modes:

• Controlled Sequence Mixed Case Palletizing: Predetermine the feeding order to globally optimize the pallet pattern, leading to optimal loading rate.
• Random Sequence Mixed Case Palletizing: Support random order without prior knowledge of cases.
• Random Sequence with Buffer Mixed Case Palletizing: Reserve 3-5 buffers at the frontline of the sorter for flexible sequence adjustment. The real-time calculation works out the optimal case and placement for the best foreseeable pallet.

Innovative Mixed Case Palletizing Solution

LET China 2023

XYZ Robotics' mixed case palletizing solution has received rave reviews from global customers in industries such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, and chemicals. We endeavor to optimize our products and solutions for diverse warehouse logistics scenarios, empowering businesses with automation upgrades and enhanced productivity.