Logistics Automation
This page covers autonomous mobile robots, forklifts and vision applications in warehouses, factories and distribution centers. For each application, it lists the camera, lens, options and host that usually fit, and the pitfalls to avoid. Use these recommendations as a starting point and check them against your requirements.
Before choosing, read the rules that apply to most applications. For a step-by-step selection, see Choose your camera and Choose your ZED Box.
At a glance
| Application | Camera | Lens | Polarizer | Host | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Indoor ground robots and AMRs | ZED X | Wide | No | ZED Box Orin, ZED Box Mini |
 | Forklifts | ZED X (front and rear), ZED X Mini (forks) | Wide | Depends on site | ZED Box Orin |
 | Warehouse vision | ZED X, ZED X Mini, ZED X One GS, ZED X One 4K | Wide or narrow | No, indoors | ZED Box Mini, ZED Box 2 |
For the polarizer, “Depends on site” means: with polarizer outdoors in daylight, without polarizer indoors or in low light. Only the ZED 2i, ZED X and ZED X Mini are available with a polarizer. For details, see Should you choose the polarizer?.
Indoor ground robots and AMRs
Autonomous mobile robots in warehouses, factories, hospitals and retail stores.
- Camera: ZED X with wide lens, without polarizer. The wide field of view covers obstacles close to the robot and gives many visual features to positional tracking. Choose the ZED X Mini for a small robot, or when the obstacles that matter are closer than 0.3 m.
- 360° perception: four ZED X, one on each side, on a ZED Box Orin with the Fusion API.
- One or two cameras: a ZED Box Mini is enough, and runs each camera at full frame rate.
Do not use a polarizer indoors: it blocks half to two thirds of the incoming light, which increases noise and motion blur. With more than one stereo camera on the same port group of a ZED Box Orin, the frame rate is limited to 30 fps in HD1200 (see Frame rate with several cameras).
Forklifts
- Front and rear perception: two ZED X with wide lens.
- Pallet detection at the forks: a ZED X Mini, whose 0.1 m minimum depth suits the pallet approach, or a ZED X One 4K for high-resolution pallet and label detection.
- Host: a ZED Box Orin, which connects up to four GMSL2 cameras.
The ZED X One 4K uses a rolling shutter and runs at 15 fps in 4K, so use it for detection when the forklift moves slowly. Check that your camera combination is supported in Using GMSL with ZED Box Orin.
Warehouse vision
Parcel counting and dimensioning, occupancy and load monitoring, tracking and code reading in warehouses and distribution centers. As a rule of thumb:
- Stereo camera (ZED X, ZED X Mini) when the application needs depth: volume, height or position.
- Monocular camera (ZED X One) when a 2D image is enough: video, barcodes, AprilTags or text.
- Wide lens for wide coverage at close range, narrow lens for a longer range or a higher ceiling.
- ZED X One 4K for its HDR, which handles the high contrast at dock doors, and its resolution for codes and text.
Dark, shiny and wrapped parcels, as well as stretch film, reduce the depth quality. Add diffuse lighting, and check the depth accuracy of the ZED X at your mounting distance.
Need help?
Contact support@stereolabs.com with a description of your application: working distances, motion, environment and number of cameras.