Identification based on natural features

Problem

Conventional wooden pallets usually do not offer classic identification features such as barcodes or serial numbers. Often, identification is done via temporarily attached labels.

In industrial use, these identifiers are not robust enough, as abrasion occurs on the pallets. In addition, the wood becomes darker over time, which is why even printed barcodes can no longer be read.

Solution

All wooden pallets have feet whose wood structure is unique and serves as a fingerprint. By means of a camera, the pallet feet are recorded, for example, at truck gates or on corresponding conveyor systems. Using artificial intelligence, a digital signature is then created for each pallet foot and stored in a special database. When the pallet is read in again, the system compares the individual signature of the read-in pallet with the database and thus identifies the pallet based only on the surface structure of the pallet feet. This can be done both locally and by means of servers across multiple sites.