Scheduling and Path Planning Algorithms for a Rotary Packaging System with Delta Pickers

The throughput of commercial packaging systems is inherently constrained to approximately two picks per second per picker due to fundamental physical limitations. This paper presents a novel rotary packaging system that leverages optimized scheduling and path planning algorithms to overcome these constraints. Initially, an overview of the mechanical design is provided, and the notation to define the problem setting is given. Based on this, the scheduling and path planning algorithms are systematically derived. Each pick and place process is decomposed into five distinct phases, alternating between constrained optimal paths and belt synchronization, respectively. Direct collocation is employed to compute the optimal paths. The proposed approach is validated through numerical simulations and experimental testing on a physical demonstrator. Finally, potential directions for further performance improvements and system enhancements are discussed.