Augmented reality combined with 3D packing algorithm as tool for container loading

Abstract

Every year, the number of parcels transported increases significantly, partly due to the generalization of e-commerce. This increase results in an augmentation of ships, trucks and planes needed to transport all these packages. We study in the master thesis a possible improvement in the loading process, which might result in faster loading and more efficient storage in containers. This improvement comes from the combination of two very different areas, namely augmented reality and the container loading problem. First, a container loading algorithm is developed, allowing to take a large number of boxes and pack them in a container. This algorithm uses a placement heuristic as well as an improvement heuristic to optimize the result. This software will be run on a server and data must be stored in a database, and communication must be possible through an application programming interface (API). Afterwards, the objective is to combine this algorithm with a program developed on Unity running on a Hololens device. This software allows to visualize and interact with the solution proposed by the packing algorithm and to allow a human operator to assemble the container according to the instructions issued. In addition to these tools, we also developed a web interface and a box generator