Volume measurement
Space is a scarce resource in logistics and transportation. In order to optimize utilization of storage or vehicle capacity, it is important to know the exact dimensions in length, width and height of a warehouse or freight item.
Very efficient dimensioning solutions exist for items on conveyor belts. They are usually based on laser line scanners or laser triangulation systems and exploit the conveyor motion to synthesize a 3D image from multiple line scans.
For stationary items, in contrast, dimensioning solutions with 3D cameras are more suitable, since the item can be measured in a single exposure from a fixed location. There is no need to move the camera relative to the item as is the case with line scanners.
There are dimensioning solutions available for pallets and for boxes that utilize SR4000 TOF cameras from MESA. These systems can achieve an accuracy of less than 1cm with a measurement that takes a fraction of a second. Compared to existing scanner based systems, the TOF camera based systems are more compact, lighter and easier to install.