Volume measurement of bulk material with LiDAR
OWL EYE® – BULK STOCKPILE MONITORING
The Owl Eye Monitoring System is a system for permanent and precise volume measurement of bulk materials for continuous inventory. High-precision LiDAR sensors are installed in your storage facilities and survey your bulk material in 3D. The Owl Eye is a complete package for fully automated inventory of bulk stockpiles of any size. The data is recorded on a time-controlled basis and stored in an integrated database. External systems such as SAP can manage the Owl Eye and access the data at any time. In addition, an integrated OPC interface enables an uncomplicated and flexible connection to common PLC control centre systems.
Bulk material stockpile monitoring
As a rule, several Owl Eye platforms with various 3D LiDAR sensors are installed in the warehouse area. These are mounted under the roof of the warehouse and in the immediate vicinity of the stockpiles, for example on masts, buildings or superstructures. The higher the sensors are mounted above the stockpile, the better the coverage. Various sensors with different properties can be combined. We offer optimised sensor configurations for both indoor and outdoor use. The system can also be equipped with compressed air cleaning technology to keep the sensors dust-free at all times.
Stockpile height monitoring and threshold warning system
The Owl Eye not only offers the possibility to carry out volume measurements and stockpile inventories, but also to monitor the height of the stockpiles and control threshold values. Height monitoring measures the height of the stockpile at defined points and ensures that the permissible height thresholds are not exceeded. This helps to comply with structural, fire protection or safety requirements. Threshold value monitoring comes into effect when the stockpile volume falls above or below a certain threshold value.
The dashboard offers an efficient solution for monitoring stock levels by combining a clear table with an integrated bar chart. This table provides a quick overview of the current stock of the storage boxes, while the embedded bar chart visualizes the changes in stock over the last seven days at a glance.
The warehouse management dashboard enhances inventory analysis by providing a 2D diagram per storage box for visual and detailed analysis. In addition to the graphical representation of quantities over time, it serves as a basis for further analysis. In addition, 3D models of the stored goods are stored for each measured value, providing insights into the shape and stock development so that users can visually track quantitative and physical changes in stock.
The analysis module enables a detailed examination of individual stockpiles by allowing users to mark specific areas and precisely determine the volume of these selected areas. This functionality extends the data view of the dashboard with the option of carrying out in-depth analyses. Users can thus not only monitor the general stockpile development, but also gain specific insights into the physical condition and changes within individual stockpiles.
The special analysis function enables the first measurement date to be entered directly in the 3D model of the stockpile. This innovative function enables users to visually track the age of the slag heap in the 3D model. Each color represents a specific period of the material, making it possible to see at a glance which parts of the stockpile have been newly added and which have been in storage for some time. It also shows how much material is available with the same time stamp.
The warehouse management system offers a comprehensive platform for detailed analysis and visual processing of material stockpiles based on a variety of criteria such as laboratory approvals, quality classes or the respective suppliers. This allows users to assign individual data to each material stock and to create a clear and easy-to-understand visualization through color coding. Users have the option of not only recording the specific properties of each stored item, but also visualizing its quantity on the basis of selected characteristics.
The multi-sensor capable Owl Eye Monitoring System watches over the stock in your warehouses like with the eyes of an owl. Many individual LiDAR sensors are installed as owl eyes in the storage area and combined to form one large eye. The system is very flexible, which means that projects with over 50 sensors in one image do not present any technical difficulties for the system.
In this representation of the Owl Eye, two storage boxes and a wheel loader are recorded in a live point cloud video. This 3D data is the basis for the entire system. This gives users a precise and dynamic view of stock levels in real time. Visualization using point clouds enables detailed and interactive exploration of the warehouse environment, significantly increasing the efficiency and accuracy of inventory management.
Our sensors are typically installed in the ceiling area or generally in raised positions to ensure optimum coverage. Depending on the application and sensor type, the operating range of the sensors varies between 5 and 200 meters, which enables flexible adaptation to a wide range of environments. Installation is carried out using standardized mounting platforms, which enable simple installation.
Our system is manufacturer-independent and integrates various sensors to utilize their specific strengths. This flexibility enables precise environmental detection through data fusion and gives customers access to the latest sensor technologies without being tied to one manufacturer. This enables us to develop customized solutions based on individual customer requirements.
We also offer the Owl Eye system as a turnkey solution to guarantee our customers a comprehensive and ready-to-use service. Our technicians, who are strategically distributed across three locations in Germany, are also ready to install the Owl Eye system in even the most remote places on the planet.
The Owl Eye platform revolutionizes the maintenance and cleaning of sensor units with an innovative, smart cleaning system based on compressed air blow-off. This advanced method makes it possible to efficiently and automatically remove dust and dirt from the sensor lens without physical contact or the use of cleaning agents. The underlying software plays a crucial role here: it continuously monitors the condition of the lens and automatically activates the compressed air valve as required to ensure optimum cleaning.
