Automate 2025: Photoneo reveals in-motion hand-eye bag rack picking offering

Photoneo said it will reveal a robotics breakthrough that tackles one of the most persistent challenges in automotive manufacturing: picking fragile parts from tightly compartmentalized bag racks.

At Automate 2025 in Detroit, in Booth 641, attendees can witness a live demonstration of in-motion hand-eye bag rack picking with a fully automated, collision-free offering that combines precision, speed and adaptability in one system.

Automate 2025 is May 12-15 at Detroit’s Huntington Place.

Bin-picking technology on display

Unlike fixed sensors, Photoneo said the MotionCam-3D mounted on a robotic arm in hand-eye position allows for virtually unlimited scans from a range of angles. As the robotic arm moves, the sensor collects a continuous stream of 3D data, building a complete and accurate 3D model of the scene in real time.

"In this demo, we’re not just picking parts – we’re picking apart the old limitations of robotic vision," said Daniel Otto, global sales and marketing lead at Photoneo, now part of Zebra Technologies. "This is the first time you can see a robot solve this kind of complex handling task with real-time 3D Scanning in motion and advanced path planning. It’s a major step forward for smart automation in automotive and beyond."

Using scanning-in-motion technology paired with a bin-picking offering, Photoneo said it allows the robot to capture 3D data seamlessly while moving, reducing the scanning cycle time by a factor of 10.

Other highlights of the booth demonstration include:

• When one scan isn’t enough: Unlike traditional static systems that need to stop and scan each compartment individually, MotionCam-3D with 3D Instant Meshing delivers continuous, multi-angle 3D perception - keeping the robot moving while ensuring accurate object recognition and localization.
• Hand-eye precision: The robot is dynamically calibrated to its vision system, enabling it to pick with sub-millimeter-level precision from complex positions.
• Advanced collision avoidance: Photoneo’s Bin Picking Studio software prevents potential collisions of the robot arm within the tight rack compartments and surrounding workspace, ensuring safety and reliability.
• Multi-function workflow: One system, multiple tasks. After bag rack picking, the robot deposits items on a wall-mounted shelf, drops them into a bin, performs bin picking and reinserts them back into the rack - all in a single continuous loop.

Automate demonstration details

Photoneo’s demo features a Universal Robots UR10e equipped with a MotionCam-3D in hand-eye configuration and an electric two-finger gripper. Powered by Photoneo’s Bin Picking Studio, the system delivers bin-picking automation, including smart path planning and collision avoidance.

Since both the 3D camera and vision-guided robotics software are developed by Photoneo, the company said customers will benefit from optimal compatibility and rapid, hassle-free deployment.

As a result, this system performs real-time extraction of parts in various colors and shapes from a specialized, tightly packed bag rack - without pausing movement. The system then transitions into bin picking and reinserts the objects, demonstrating its flexibility.