Deep CNN-Based Materials Location and Recognition for Industrial Multi-Crane Visual Sorting System in 5G Network

Abstract

Intelligent manufacturing is a challenging and compelling topic in Industry 4.0. Many computer vision (CV)-based applications have attracted widespread interest from researchers and industries around the world. However, it is difficult to integrate visual recognition algorithms with industrial control systems. The low-level devices are controlled by traditional programmable logic controllers (PLCs) that cannot realize data communication due to different industrial control protocols. In this article, we develop a multi-crane visual sorting system with cloud PLCs in a 5G environment, in which deep convolutional neural network (CNN)-based character recognition and dynamic scheduling are designed for materials in intelligent manufacturing. First, an YOLOv5-based algorithm is applied to locate the position of objects on the conveyor belt. Then, we propose a Chinese character recognition network (CCRNet) to significantly recognize each object from the original image. The position, type, and timestamp of each object are sent to cloud PLCs that are virtualized in the cloud to replace the function of traditional PLCs in the terminal. After that, we propose a dynamic scheduling method to sort the materials in minimum time. Finally, we establish a real experimental platform of a multi-crane visual sorting system to verify the performance of the proposed methods.

Effect of social influence, environmental awareness, and safety affordance on actual use of 5G technologies among Chinese students

“…In their major provinces, they are testing 5G. According to projections, 28% of mobile networks in China, or nearly one-third of all 5G connections worldwide, will use 5G technology by 2025 11 . As a result, Beijing will become the nation's leader in 5G usage.…”

“…Students' awareness of the environmental impact of technology can influence their decision to adopt 5G. If they perceive 5G technology as environmentally friendly or as having the potential to support sustainable practices, it may encourage them to embrace it 11 . Nowadays, safety is a critical concern when adopting any new technology.…”