CN116140230A - Method for sorting materials and related products - Google Patents
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Abstract
The present disclosure discloses a method for sorting materials and related products. The method comprises the following steps: respectively scanning spectral characteristics of materials on a conveyor belt by using N identification modules arranged along the moving direction of the conveyor belt so as to obtain N images with corresponding spectral characteristics, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; image synthesis is carried out on two or more images in the N images based on time synchronism among the identification modules so as to obtain a synthesized image; and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the composite image and the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device so as to realize material separation. By utilizing the scheme disclosed by the invention, the characteristic information of the materials can be accurately identified and collected, so that efficient and accurate sorting is realized.
Description
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to the field of material sorting. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method for sorting materials and related products.
Background
With the development of society and technological progress, material processing and sorting technology has been widely used in various fields such as waste recovery, ore dressing, agricultural product processing, etc. The traditional material sorting method generally depends on manual sorting and simple mechanical equipment, and the method is high in labor intensity and low in efficiency, and sorting quality is influenced by manual experience and skill, so that sorting accuracy and consistency are difficult to ensure.
In order to improve the material sorting efficiency and quality, material sorting technology has been attracting attention in recent years. The technologies generally adopt advanced technologies such as computer vision, spectrum analysis and the like to detect optical properties of materials in real time, classify the materials according to the optical properties of the materials, and then directionally separate the materials through a separation device to realize effective separation of the materials. However, existing material sorting techniques still suffer from certain drawbacks in determining optical properties of materials, such as inaccurate detection of optical properties. In addition, the prior art has problems in controlling the separating device, such as inaccurate control of the blowing time and the blowing force, and may cause misspraying or missing spraying during the material sorting process.
Therefore, there is a need for a material sorting method that can effectively determine the optical properties of materials and precisely control the separation device, so as to improve the accuracy, efficiency and quality of material sorting, reduce the material processing cost, and promote reasonable utilization of resources and environmental protection.
Disclosure of Invention
To address at least one or more of the technical problems mentioned above, the present disclosure proposes, in various aspects, a solution for material sorting in order to achieve efficient material sorting.
In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a method for sorting materials, comprising: respectively scanning spectral characteristics of materials on a conveyor belt by using N identification modules arranged along the moving direction of the conveyor belt so as to obtain N images with corresponding spectral characteristics, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; image synthesis is carried out on two or more images in the N images based on time synchronism among the N recognition modules so as to obtain a synthesized image; and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the composite image and the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device so as to realize material separation.
In some embodiments, wherein each recognition module has a respective image coordinate system and the N images have raw image coordinates corresponding to the image coordinate system, wherein image synthesizing two or more of the N images based on temporal synchronicity between the N recognition modules comprises: coordinate transformation from original image coordinates to a composite image coordinate system is performed based on the time synchronicity to achieve image composition of one or more of the N images in the composite image coordinate system, wherein the composite image coordinate system is an image coordinate system of the N recognition modules where image composition is performed.
In some embodiments, wherein controlling the separation device to perform a separation operation on the material based on the composite image and the time synchronicity of the N recognition modules with the separation device comprises: determining a separation control parameter of the separation device according to the composite image; determining a separation start time of the separation device according to the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device; and controlling the separation device to perform a separation operation on the material based on the separation control parameter and the separation start time.
In some embodiments, the N identification modules include an X-ray detector for performing an X-ray scan and an image sensor for performing a color selection scan, wherein the spectral characteristics include an X-ray characteristic and a color selection characteristic.
In some embodiments, the image coordinate system of the X-ray detector is a two-dimensional coordinate system constituted by a time coordinate axis related to a moving direction of the material and a coordinate axis along a linear direction of the X-ray detector, and the image coordinate system of the image sensor is a two-dimensional coordinate system constituted by a time coordinate axis related to a moving direction of the material and a coordinate axis along a linear direction of the image sensor.
In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for sorting materials, comprising: a processor; and a memory having stored thereon program instructions for sorting material, which when executed by the processor, cause the method of the first aspect and its various embodiments described above to be implemented.
In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions for sorting material, which when executed by a processor, cause the method of the first aspect and its embodiments described above to be implemented.
In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for sorting materials, comprising: a conveyor belt for carrying and moving the material to be sorted; the N identification modules are used for being arranged along the moving direction of the conveying belt and respectively scanning the spectral characteristics of the materials on the conveying belt so as to obtain N images with corresponding spectral characteristics, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2; a separating device for performing a separating operation on the material to achieve material sorting; a synchronization board connected with the N identification modules and the separation device to provide a synchronization signal for time synchronization between the N identification modules and between the identification modules and the separation device; a controller connected to the N identification modules, the separation device, and the synchronization board, and configured to: image synthesis is carried out on two or more images in the N images based on time synchronism among the N recognition modules so as to obtain a synthesized image; and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the composite image and the time synchronicity of the N identification modules and the separation device so as to realize material separation.
In some embodiments, wherein each recognition module has a respective image coordinate system and the N images have raw image coordinates corresponding to the image coordinate system, wherein in image compositing two or more of the N images based on temporal synchronicity between the N recognition modules, the controller is configured to: coordinate transformation from original image coordinates to a composite image coordinate system is performed based on the time synchronicity to achieve image composition of one or more of the N images in the composite image coordinate system, wherein the composite image coordinate system is an image coordinate system of the N recognition modules where image composition is performed.
In some embodiments, wherein in controlling the separation device to perform a separation operation on the material based on the composite image and the time synchronicity of the N recognition modules with the separation device, the controller is configured to: determining a separation control parameter of the separation device according to the composite image; determining a separation start time of the separation device according to the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device; and controlling the separation device to perform a separation operation on the material based on the separation control parameter and the separation start time.
Significant technical advantages over the prior art may be obtained by the present application through the solutions described by the various aspects of the present disclosure and embodiments thereof. Specifically, by utilizing the N identification modules to scan the spectral characteristics of the materials on the conveying belt, the multi-dimensional spectral information of the materials can be obtained, so that the possibility is provided for improving the sorting precision and efficiency. Further, through image synthesis, the obtained synthesized image contains spectrum information provided by a plurality of identification modules, so that understanding of material characteristics is more comprehensive, and the sorting accuracy is improved. In addition, the time synchronism is used for controlling the separating device to perform separating operation on the materials, so that accurate separating (such as spraying) control can be realized, and the accuracy and efficiency of material sorting are further improved.
In summary, according to the scheme disclosed by the invention, through the spectrum information fusion, time synchronism and accurate separation control of the plurality of identification modules, the optimization of the material sorting process is realized, and the accuracy, efficiency and reliability of material sorting are improved.
Drawings
The above, as well as additional purposes, features, and advantages of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will become readily apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Several embodiments of the present disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar or corresponding parts and in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a simplified flow diagram of a method for material sorting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed flow chart of a method for material sorting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;
3 a-3 d illustrate schematic diagrams of a material sorting process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure;
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an apparatus for sorting materials of the present disclosure; and
fig. 5 shows an exemplary block diagram of an apparatus for sorting materials of the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
The following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure will be made clearly and fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is evident that the embodiments described are some, but not all embodiments of the disclosure. Based on the embodiments in this disclosure, all other embodiments that may be made by those skilled in the art without the inventive effort are within the scope of the present disclosure.
It should be understood that the terms "comprises" and "comprising," when used in this specification and the claims, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
It is also to be understood that the terminology used in the description of the present disclosure is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used in the specification and claims of this disclosure, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the term "and/or" as used in the present disclosure and claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items, and includes such combinations.
As used in this specification and the claims, the term "if" may be interpreted as "when..once" or "in response to a determination" or "in response to detection" depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase "if a determination" or "if a [ described condition or event ] is detected" may be interpreted in the context of meaning "upon determination" or "in response to determination" or "upon detection of a [ described condition or event ]" or "in response to detection of a [ described condition or event ]".
As mentioned in the background section of the disclosure, while current material sorting techniques employ computer vision and spectroscopic analysis techniques, there are shortcomings in determining optical properties of materials and controlling separation devices, such as inaccurate detection of optical properties, inaccurate control of separation time and force. Therefore, the present disclosure proposes a solution that can effectively determine optical properties of materials and precisely control a separation device, thereby improving separation accuracy, efficiency and quality, reducing separation costs, promoting rational utilization of resources and environmental protection. In order to facilitate a thorough understanding of the aspects of the present disclosure, specific techniques and principles of operation are described below in relation to the disclosure.
X-ray scanning: a technique for scanning and detecting materials by using X-rays. The X-ray detector emits X-rays and penetrates through the material, so that internal information of the material, such as weight, density, components or contents of various metals and the like, can be detected. The detection method is nondestructive, and does not cause secondary pollution to materials. In sorting, X-ray scanning can help identify and distinguish between different types of materials.
Color selection: a technology for screening and sorting materials according to the color, shape, size and other characteristics of the materials. Color selection in material sorting is mainly achieved using high-speed cameras and image processing techniques. By capturing an image of the material, the system can quickly and accurately identify the color of the material and screen the material. This method can achieve a sorting effect with high efficiency and low error.
And (3) spraying: a sorting method in a material sorting process. After the X-ray scanning or color selection technique identifies the material to be sorted, the blowing device (a specific separation device of the present disclosure) sorts the material according to predetermined parameters. Separation devices typically use compressed air or other media to exert a force on a material to separate it from other materials. The method can separate different types of materials rapidly and accurately, and improves separation efficiency. In the blowing sorting process, the control system can calculate the starting time of the nozzle according to the material position information. As the target material passes through the nozzle of the separation device, the nozzle releases a high-velocity, directional flow of air (typically compressed air). The air flow will exert a force on the target material pushing it off the conveyor belt, thereby effecting sorting. It will be appreciated that in some applications, the separating apparatus of the present disclosure may also include various types of mechanical structures (e.g., push plates or robotic arms) to effect the sorting action of the target material. Thus, the separation operations of the present disclosure may include, but are not limited to, a blowing operation.
Based on the above technologies, the disclosure proposes to use multiple scanning technologies and separations in material sorting in combination by utilizing the synchronicity of multiple identification modules (such as the X-ray detector and the high-speed camera exemplarily described above) and the separation device, so that more accurate and efficient material sorting can be achieved. In addition, artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques can also help optimize algorithms, further improving the performance and intelligence level of material sorting.
Specific embodiments of the present disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 shows a simplified flow diagram of a method 100 for material sorting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It is understood that the method 100 may be implemented by software instructions, hardware, and a combination of hardware and software. In some application scenarios, the method 100 herein may be performed by a processor or controller disposed in a material sorting apparatus or device.
As shown in fig. 1, at step S102, the material on the conveyor belt is scanned for spectral characteristics using N identification modules arranged along the moving direction of the conveyor belt, respectively, to obtain N images having corresponding spectral characteristics, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2.
According to different application scenarios, the aforementioned conveyor belt may have different materials, such as rubber, PVC, polyurethane, silica gel, nylon, stainless steel, etc. The materials selected need to be selected according to the material characteristics and the application scene. For example, rubber conveyor belts are suitable for transporting heavier materials, while silica gel conveyor belts perform better in situations where abrasion resistance and high temperature resistance are required. Further, the conveyor belt may be processed into a multi-layered structure to better carry the material. In terms of transmission, the conveyor belt may be driven by a transmission, which typically includes an assembly of motors, reducers, rollers, and the like. Specifically, the motor provides power, the speed reducer adjusts the speed of the conveyor belt, and the rollers support the conveyor belt and maintain its smooth running. In addition, the speed of the conveyor belt can be adjusted according to the characteristics of materials and sorting requirements. Faster transfer speeds may increase production efficiency but may decrease sorting accuracy, while slower transfer speeds may help to increase sorting accuracy but may affect production efficiency.
With respect to the identification module, which is the core component of the material sorting scheme of the present disclosure, it is responsible for acquiring the spectral characteristics of the material. In the context of the present disclosure, the identification module may be comprised of a spectral sensor or similar device with high sensitivity, high resolution, and fast response. As an example, it may comprise an X-ray detector and an image sensor (such as a high definition camera). By using an X-ray detector, chemical elements in the material can be identified, providing information about the composition of the material. Further by analyzing the X-ray spectrum of the material, different kinds of metals, plastics and other materials can be distinguished. When a high definition camera is used to scan the material (e.g., a color selection scan), shape and size information of the material may be captured. Further by analyzing the image, the length, width, height and other shape parameters of the material can be calculated. In addition, the high-definition camera can also capture color information of materials. Color features are of great significance for distinguishing certain material types, and by analyzing texture information, the type of material or the surface treatment condition can be identified. Through setting up N identification module, the spectral characteristics of material can be obtained from a plurality of aspects to this disclosed scheme, provides abundant information for the material sorting.
At step S104, two or more images of the N images are image-synthesized based on the time synchronicity between the recognition modules to obtain a synthesized image. Regarding the time synchronicity herein, the inventors of the present disclosure have found that when using a plurality of different identification modules to perform a spectral characteristic scan on a material, it is necessary to ensure that the different identification modules have the same time reference. Otherwise, because the power-on starting time of each identification module is different and the clock may deviate in the running process, the N images cannot be synthesized, so that the synthesis of the material (or object block) level is obtained. To this end, the present disclosure ensures that the N identification modules and the separating means have the same clock source by means of, for example, a dedicated synchronization board, so that the desired time synchronicity is obtained and the material level composition is achieved based on this time synchronicity.
Next, at step S106, the separation device is controlled to perform a separation operation on the material based on the above-mentioned composite image and the time synchronicity of the identification module and the separation device, so as to implement material sorting. With respect to the composite image, as will be discussed in detail below, the present disclosure utilizes coordinate changes to convert the coordinate system of the material in, for example, identification module 1 to the coordinate system in, for example, identification module 2, thereby achieving positional alignment at identification module 2. Then, the information obtained by the X-ray scanning of the identification module 1 (such as the weight, density, and the composition or content of metals such as gold, silver, and copper in the material) and the information obtained by the color selection scanning of the identification module 2 (such as color, shape, and size) are comprehensively analyzed, so that, for example, a controller or a control system can control the separation device to perform corresponding separation (such as blowing).
By utilizing the method 100 described above in connection with fig. 1, not only the information provided by a single identification technique, but also information from multiple identification techniques may be considered during material sorting to obtain more comprehensive and accurate material characteristics. Further, separation control parameters of the separation device are obtained according to the synthetic image obtained after scanning, so that accurate and efficient separation of materials is realized.
Fig. 2 illustrates a detailed flow diagram of a method 200 for material sorting according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As can be seen from what is shown in the figures, the method 200 includes more details of the method 100 described above in connection with fig. 1, and thus can be considered as one possible implementation of the method 100. In view of this, the description made above with respect to method 100 of fig. 1 applies equally to method 200, and for the sake of clarity and brevity, the same will not be repeated.
At step S202, the material on the conveyor belt is scanned for spectral characteristics by using N identification modules arranged along the moving direction of the conveyor belt, so as to obtain N images with corresponding spectral characteristics, where N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. As previously described, when N is 2, the identification module 1 may be an X-ray detector and the identification module 2 may be a high definition camera, which may have a resolution of 4K, for example. Next, at step S204, coordinate transformation from the original image coordinates to the synthesized image coordinates is performed based on the aforementioned time synchronicity. In the context of the present disclosure, each recognition module has a respective image coordinate system and the N images thus scanned have raw image coordinates corresponding to said image coordinate system, while the composite image coordinate system is the image coordinate system of the recognition module where the image composition is performed.
For the purpose of illustration only, it is assumed that the identification module 1 is an X-ray detector, and its image coordinate system may be a two-dimensional coordinate system P1 formed by a time coordinate axis related to the moving direction of the material and a coordinate axis along the linear array direction of the X-ray detector. When the X-ray detector scans the material (for example, ore with a certain size) located at y1 at time t1, the coordinate of the obtained image is P1 (t 1, y 1). Similarly, it is assumed that the recognition module 2 is an image sensor, which is a two-dimensional coordinate system P2 formed by a time coordinate axis related to the moving direction of the material and a coordinate axis along the linear array direction of the image sensor. When the image sensor scans (i.e. selects) the material located at y2 at time t2, the coordinate of the obtained image is P2 (t 2, y 2).
The above-described image coordinate system is described below with exemplary parameter values, assuming that the device width of the identification module (i.e., the X-ray detector and the color-selected image sensor in the above example) is 1.6m=1600 mm, the irradiation width of both the X-rays and the color-selected on the conveyor belt is exactly 1600mm. For a 1.6mm X-ray detector with 1600mm/1.6mm = 1000 pixels, one-to-one mapping to a linear space of-800 to 800mm is possible. When the image sensor is a 4K high-definition camera, the image sensor has 4096 pixels, and can be mapped to a linear space of-800 mm one by one. Based on such a linear space, the connection image (two-dimensional image) performed by the X-ray detector may have two coordinate axes as described above, one of which is a time axis in the direction of the movement of the material and the other of which is a coordinate axis in the direction of the line. Likewise, the two-dimensional image obtained by the high definition camera color selection scan also has two similar coordinate axes.
Returning to the flowchart of fig. 2, at step S206, image synthesis is performed on one or more of the N images in the synthesized image coordinate system. Still taking the images obtained by the above X-ray detector and image sensor as an example, for image synthesis (i.e. material level synthesis), the scheme of the present disclosure converts the material from the coordinates P1 (T1, y 1) of the X-ray detector to the coordinates under the coordinate system P2 of the image sensor, i.e. P2 (t1+t1, y 1), by means of the synchronicity of both, where T1 is the time that it takes for the material to move from the position scanned by the X-ray detector to the position scanned by the image sensor. Due to the stable movement of the conveyor belt, the coordinates of the linear array direction under the X-ray scanning and the coordinates of the linear array direction under the color selection scanning of the image sensor are consistent at the moment, namely, the coordinate values after the coordinates are converted are kept unchanged and still are y1. By such a coordinate transformation, the image 1 (at the original image coordinates) obtained by the X-ray detector coincides exactly with the image 1 'at the image sensor coordinates (at the composite image coordinates, i.e. the image sensor's coordinate system) and the image 2 obtained by the image sensor scanning the material at this time. Assuming that the composite image is image 12, it has two spectral characteristics for the scanned material, namely an X-ray characteristic and a color selection characteristic.
After the synthetic image is obtained in step S206, at step S208, the separation control parameters of the separation device are determined from the aforementioned synthetic image. Still taking the X-ray characteristics and color selection characteristics as examples, the composite image may be analyzed to form a composite characterization that includes both of the foregoing spectral characteristics. This comprehensive characterization may provide more comprehensive and accurate material information. The analysis may involve, for example, a classification analysis of the material. Specifically, the materials may be classified according to their characteristics (e.g., color, shape, size, density, etc.) in the composite image. Additionally, predefined classification criteria may be set, for example, classifying stones into two categories of high quality and low quality according to their density, color, etc. The position of the material can then be calculated, i.e. for each material to be sorted, its position in the composite image needs to be determined. As previously described, it can be calculated from the coordinates of the material in the image and the speed of movement of the material on the conveyor belt. Finally, based on the foregoing classification result and position, separation control parameters such as the blowing pressure, the blowing direction, the blowing duration, and the like when separating into blows may be set.
Next, at step S210, a separation start time of the separation device is determined according to time synchronicity of the identification module and the separation device. In view of the synchronicity of the identification modules, it is understood that the identification module may be any one of the preceding identification modules or may be the one closest to the separating device. Taking still the composite image 12 at the image sensor as an example, taking into account the steady movement of the conveyor belt and the distance between the image sensor and the separating device, it is possible to determine that the image 12 is shifted back in the time axis by a period T2, i.e. the image of the material observed by the separating device at time T3. After completion of the color selection scan and image composition at the image sensor, the controller may send time information (e.g., T2 before) to the separating device, at which point the separating device may thereafter be activated (e.g., activating the solenoid valve of the respective device) at time T3 (which is equal to t2+t2) for separation.
Finally, at step S212, the separation device is controlled to perform a separation operation on the material based on the aforementioned separation control parameter and separation start time. In one embodiment, the solenoid valve of the separating apparatus may control the flow rate and the blowing time of the compressed air during the process so as to precisely align the position of the material. The separation device can execute the blowing operation with preset pressure and direction, and simultaneously adjusts the blowing time according to the characteristics of the materials so as to ensure the optimization of the sorting effect.
Fig. 3 a-3 d illustrate schematic diagrams of a material sorting process according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown at fig. 3a, the material to be sorted (i.e. stones in the figure) has been placed on the conveyor belt 301 at the feed inlet and moved from left to right in the direction of stone travel shown in the figure. For illustrative purposes only, the identification module 1 (e.g. an X-ray detector), the identification module 2 (e.g. an image sensor), the separating means and the synchronization plate respectively connected to the three are shown in fig. 3 a. As further shown in the figure, the distance from the identification module 1 to the identification module 2 is s1, and the distance from the identification module 2 to the separating apparatus is s2. Assuming that the speed of the conveyor belt is stable and the moving speed is v, the time t1=s1/v of the stone from the identification module 1 to the identification module 2, and the time t2=s2/v of the stone from the identification module 2 to the separating device. For the same stone, it reaches the identification module 1 at time t1, the identification module 2 at time t2, and the separation device at time t3.
Thereafter, as the stone moves on the conveyor belt to the identification module 1 as shown in fig. 3b, at this time t1, an X-ray scan of the stone may be performed at this time. Next, as shown in fig. 3c, the stone is further moved for a distance s1 and a time period T1 to reach the recognition module 2, where a color selection scan of the stone may be performed and the previously described compositing operation is performed after the color line scan. Then, as shown in fig. 3d, the stone continues to move for a distance s2 and for a period of time T2 to reach the separating device, in order to achieve sorting by the separating device by, for example, blowing.
As mentioned before, if there is no synchronization, t1, t2, t3 are relatively independent 3 time axes. The same stone on the 3 time axes has no definite relation in the time sense. However, after the synchronicity (e.g., providing the same clock source or reference signal) achieved by, for example, the synchronization board, the reference references of the 3 time axes T1, T2, T3 are identical, the three relationships being t2=t1+t1, t3=t2+t2. In other words, the image of the recognition module 1 is shifted backward by the time T1 to obtain an image 1' of the recognition module 1, which coincides exactly with the image 2 obtained by the scanning of the recognition module 2. Assuming that the combined image of image 1' and image 2 is the combined image 12, then the stone has 2 spectral characteristics. Since the positions of the stone in the image 12 and the image 2 on the time axis T2 are identical, the image 12 is shifted backward by the time T2, i.e. the image of the stone seen by the separating device at the time T3. After the scanning operation is completed, the time information t2 of the stone may be transmitted to the separating apparatus. The separating device can thus open the solenoid valves in the respective positions at time t2+t2, so that the stones can be blown and sorted in an accurate manner.
In some implementations, for a belt sorter (as one embodiment of the disclosed apparatus), T1 can be converted to the number of encoder pulses and T2 can be converted to the number of encoder pulses + time. In other words, both the recognition module 1 and the recognition module 2 can use the encoder pulse to trigger the scanning acquisition of the image, so that the offset combination of the image can be directly performed by using the pulse number corresponding to s 1. In some embodiments, it is also possible to synchronize only the time of the identification module 2 and the separation device, so as to achieve a synchronization of the stone positions. In this example implementation scenario, an encoder of the present disclosure (typically mounted on a drive shaft of a conveyor belt for measuring the speed and position of the conveyor belt) may provide a pulse signal to a synchronization plate; counting the pulses in a synchronization plate; each row of images corresponds to a pulse count value; the distance between images can be accurately scaled by the number of pulses. In this way, the scheme of the present disclosure can reduce the deviation caused by the fluctuation of the belt speed, and further improve the synchronization performance of the whole system.
With reference to the examples of fig. 3 a-3 d, the aforementioned coordinate transformation approach may also be used with respect to the control of the separation device. Specifically, it is assumed that the separating apparatus has a coordinate system 3. If T1 is taken as a reference, the coordinates of the image 1 in the coordinate system 3 are p1″ (t1+t1+t2, y 1) =p3 (T3, y 3). In other words, the identification module 2 indicates (e.g. via a controller) that the separating device has 1 stone to separate (or sort) at P1 (t 1, y 1). In response thereto, the separating means transforms the position in the p1 coordinate system to its own coordinate system (i.e. coordinate system 3), thereby determining that the stone is at the position of coordinates p1″ (t1+t1+t2, y 1). Based on this, at time t1+t1+t2, the controller may control the separation device to open the solenoid valve at the y1 position for an appropriate separation operation.
Fig. 4 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an apparatus 400 for sorting materials of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 4, the apparatus 400 includes a processor 401 and a memory 402. Depending on the application scenario, the processor 401 may employ various types of chips, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Graphics Processor (GPU), or other specialized processor. In addition, these processors may be selected and configured as desired. For example, if high-speed operations and complex image processing are required, a high-performance GPU or other specialized processor may be selected. However, if simpler tasks need to be performed, such as controlling the conveyor belt or the separating device, a relatively low cost CPU may also be selected.
Likewise, the memory 402 may also take various forms, including Random Access Memory (RAM), read Only Memory (ROM), flash memory, mass storage, and the like. These memories may store program instructions, image data, and other necessary information. For example, in some application scenarios, the memory may be used to store pre-trained neural network models for material classification. In addition, the memory may also be used to store configuration files, various identification module data, and other related information to ensure that the device is functioning effectively. In summary, the apparatus 400 may be configured to perform the method steps described in connection with fig. 1-3 d according to the foregoing.
Fig. 5 illustrates an exemplary block diagram of an apparatus 500 for material sorting of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 5, the apparatus may include a conveyor belt 501 for carrying and moving the material to be sorted. The device further comprises N identification modules (502-1-502-N) which are used for being arranged along the moving direction of the conveying belt and respectively scanning the spectral characteristics of materials on the conveying belt so as to obtain N images with corresponding spectral characteristics, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2. Further, the apparatus comprises separating means 503 for performing a separating operation on the material to effect sorting of the material. To achieve synchronicity, the apparatus further comprises a synchronization board 504 connected to the N identification modules and the separation means for providing a synchronization signal for time synchronicity between the identification modules and the separation means. To achieve the master control objective, the device further comprises a controller 505 connected to the N identification modules, the separating means and the synchronization board, and the controller 505 may be configured to: image synthesis is carried out on two or more images in the N images based on time synchronism among the identification modules so as to obtain a synthesized image; and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the composite image and the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device so as to realize material separation. In some embodiments, the above-mentioned apparatus 500 implements the method steps as described in the foregoing in connection with fig. 1-3 d via the control of the controller 505, which is not described herein.
While various embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous modifications, changes, and substitutions will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the disclosure described herein may be employed in practicing the disclosure. The appended claims are intended to define the scope of the disclosure and are therefore to cover all equivalents or alternatives falling within the scope of these claims.
Claims (10)
1. A method for sorting materials, comprising:
respectively scanning spectral characteristics of materials on a conveyor belt by using N identification modules arranged along the moving direction of the conveyor belt so as to obtain N images with corresponding spectral characteristics, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2;
image synthesis is carried out on two or more images in the N images based on time synchronism among the N recognition modules so as to obtain a synthesized image; and
and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the synthesized image and the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device so as to realize material separation.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein each recognition module has a respective image coordinate system and the N images have raw image coordinates corresponding to the image coordinate system, wherein image synthesizing two or more of the N images based on temporal synchronicity between the N recognition modules comprises:
coordinate transformation from original image coordinates to a composite image coordinate system is performed based on the time synchronicity to achieve image composition of one or more of the N images in the composite image coordinate system, wherein the composite image coordinate system is an image coordinate system of the N recognition modules where image composition is performed.
3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein controlling the separation device to perform a separation operation on the material based on the composite image and the time synchronicity of the identification module with the separation device comprises:
determining a separation control parameter of the separation device according to the composite image;
determining a separation start time of the separation device according to the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device; and
and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the separation control parameter and the separation starting time.
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the N identification modules include an X-ray detector for performing an X-ray scan and an image sensor for performing a color-selective scan, wherein the spectral characteristics include an X-ray characteristic and a color-selective characteristic.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the image coordinate system of the X-ray detector is a two-dimensional coordinate system constituted by a time coordinate axis related to a moving direction of the material and a coordinate axis along a linear array direction of the X-ray detector, and the image coordinate system of the image sensor is a two-dimensional coordinate system constituted by a time coordinate axis related to a moving direction of the material and a coordinate axis along a linear array direction of the image sensor.
6. An apparatus for sorting materials, comprising:
a processor; and
memory having stored thereon program instructions for sorting of material, which program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the method according to any of claims 1-5 to be implemented.
7. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions for sorting material, which when executed by a processor, implement the method according to any of claims 1-5.
8. An apparatus for sorting materials, comprising:
a conveyor belt for carrying and moving the material to be sorted;
the N identification modules are used for being arranged along the moving direction of the conveying belt and respectively scanning the spectral characteristics of the materials on the conveying belt so as to obtain N images with corresponding spectral characteristics, wherein N is a positive integer greater than or equal to 2;
a separating device for performing a separating operation on the material to achieve material sorting;
a synchronization board connected with the N identification modules and the separation device to provide a synchronization signal for time synchronization between the N identification modules and between the identification modules and the separation device;
a controller connected to the N identification modules, the separation device, and the synchronization board, and configured to:
image synthesis is carried out on two or more images in the N images based on time synchronism among the N recognition modules so as to obtain a synthesized image; and
and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the synthesized image and the time synchronicity of the N identification modules and the separation device so as to realize material separation.
9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein each recognition module has a respective image coordinate system and the N images have raw image coordinates corresponding to the image coordinate system, wherein in image synthesizing two or more of the N images based on temporal synchronicity between the N recognition modules, the controller is configured to:
coordinate transformation from original image coordinates to a composite image coordinate system is performed based on the time synchronicity to achieve image composition of one or more of the N images in the composite image coordinate system, wherein the composite image coordinate system is an image coordinate system of the N recognition modules where image composition is performed.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 or 9, wherein in controlling the separating device to perform a separating operation on the material based on the composite image and time synchronicity of the identifying module with the separating device, the controller is configured to:
determining a separation control parameter of the separation device according to the composite image;
determining a separation start time of the separation device according to the time synchronism of the identification module and the separation device; and
and controlling the separation device to execute separation operation on the materials based on the separation control parameter and the separation starting time.
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