Edge of Automation: Machine Learning Meets Robotics

Details
[in-person event]

Machine Learning Meets Robotics
We’re excited to invite you to our next techBytes meetup at Ocado Technology, where we’ll explore the intersection of #AI, #data, #software, #MachineLearning and #hardware.

ABOUT THE TALKS
At the upcoming meetup, we will explore how our data-driven, AI-powered camera calibration algorithm transforms CCTV images into precise grid coordinates, improving the efficiency and accuracy of our robots in our automated, robotic warehouses.

Then, we will learn about our journey with Platform Engineering, where we unified control systems in the public cloud to boost resiliency and streamline operations. We will demonstrate services that make developing hardware solutions faster and more efficient.

1. TOPIC: LEARNING TO SEE: A COMPUTER VISION STORY
Speaker: Hristo Avramov, Data Science Team Lead

At Ocado, we call our grid of storage containers “cells”. As the bots whizz on top of them at a great speed, we like to refer to the platform as “the Hive”. It is the world's densest automated storage system that we know of. CCTV cameras provide continuous visual monitoring of the Hive, as we need to be able to identify each bot at any given time.

To make the most of the visual monitoring data, we need to map camera images to the grid coordinates accurately. This is where our camera calibration algorithm comes in, converting image pixels into real-world grid positions and supporting all our CCTV projects.

In this talk, we'll share the story of developing and implementing this crucial algorithm. You'll hear about the research behind it, how we brought it into production and evaluated its performance. We'll also discuss the challenges we faced, such as adapting to new CFC designs, different camera types, and various grid configurations. We aim to share our experiences and lessons learned with you.

2. TOPIC: PLATFORM ENGINEERING @ THE EDGE
Speaker: Jacek Suchenia, Senior Staff Cloud Engineer

For over a decade, Ocado has embraced Platform Engineering principles, years before they became more widespread. We started by enhancing our AWS-based platform, the Ocado Smart Platform (OSP), using standardised tools, common rules (Kitemarks, now Hallmarks), and shared services to streamline development.

However, our automated warehouse operations (Customer Fulfillment Centres - CFCs), with robots running on large grids of cells, needed a different approach. It allowed us to use the latest automation technologies. By unifying our control plane software onto a common platform in the public cloud, we adapted cloud principles like resiliency and failure handling to the embedded space, significantly reducing on-site servers and cutting costs.

As the Edge Platform Engineering team, we now provide three key services: device management, software management, and connectivity. We offer supported hardware, a secure and certified operating system, and seamless device connectivity. Our goal is to give embedded systems a cloud-like experience, allowing developers focus on their code while we handle the infrastructure and complexities.

In this talk, we'll showcase how our processes and services help developers build hardware solutions faster and more efficiently.

3. NETWORKING
After the talks (around 8:00 p.m.), stay with us to network over the classics, beer & pizza! :)

INTRODUCTION TO OCADO TECHNOLOGY - to give you some background:
The Ocado Smart Platform is a software, automation, and robotics platform for online grocery operations. Our technology supports the online operations of 13 of the world’s most forward-thinking grocery retailers around the world. In our Customer Fulfillment Centers (CFCs), thousands of mobile robots (or bots) whiz around on top of a grid of storage containers arranged in stacks. They travel at 4 metres per second with just millimeters between them. Bots take containers with groceries and containers with customers' shopping bags in them to match them up at pick stations for the items to be packed into customer shopping bags. Another exciting technology that supports fulfilment are robotic arms. All technology estate within our CFC’s is controlled by a Control Systems mastermind.

This is how we create the most efficient grocery fulfillment in the world: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssZ_8cqfBlE