Journal of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology ISSN: 1007-6735

Automation of Object Sorting Based on Colour

1
Shashikala.J ,
1
Asst. Professor, BMS Institute of Technology & Management, Bengaluru, India
Email: [email protected]

Abstract: Automation or automatic control, is the use of various control systems for operating equipment
such as machinery, processes in factories, boilers and heat treating ovens, etcThe paper presents sorting of
object using microcontroller based on color.

Keywords: Automation, sorting, colour sensors, microcontrollers

1. INTRODUCTION
Automation has been achieved by various means
including mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical,
electronic devices and computers, usually in
combination. The benefits of automation [1] include labor
savings, savings in electricity costs, savings in material
costs, and improvements to quality, accuracy and
precision

In the existing system the objects are sorted manually

mostly by human beings. This creates a tendency for
human errors to come into account and thus result in the
work going wrong. If objects or parts in industries are not
sorted correctly, then there is a high chance of huge chaos
and the final product being defective.

2. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
For many packaging industries, color object counting and
sorting is the main job that needs to be completed.
Traditionally, the item sorting process was performed by Figure 1: Block diagram for object sorting
the manually. However, this method has some
disadvantages such as increase in the cost of the product, As the DC motor (12V, 3.5rpm) receives a 3.4V supply it
slow, and inaccuracy due to the human mistake. starts spinning. It will monitor the conveyor belt
movement on which the product is placed. When an object
Nowadays, the competition is so intense that the
exists, the sensor generates an output frequency that is
efficiency of the product is regarded as the key to
proportional to the object's color Therefore, when red
success. The efficiency of the product includes the speed
filter is chosen, the sensor gives maximum frequency for
of the production, lowering material and labour cost,
red objects, and similarly other colored objects[3] are also
improving quality and decreasing the rejection. Taking
sensed by corresponding filters.
into account all the issues this project is being built which
is very useful for the industries. This project is aimed at As the light falls on the object the color sensor is reflected
obtaining fully automatic material handling system. This back. As stated earlier, the TCS2300 color sensor has 4
is achieved using microcontroller machine. This device color filters for green, red, blue and black (no colour),
synchronizes the robotic arm 's movement to select the which is chosen by its selected pins. The software stored
moveable objects on the conveyor belt. inside the microcontroller selects filters Frequency output
from the color sensor depends on the object's color, as
3. PROPOSED SYSTEM well as the microcontroller's select pin configuration
An automated sorting system has primary task of sorting information. Select pin can choose one of the four photo
components by number. It also consists of conveyor belt diode[4] filters that can provide output according to the
which reduces material handling efforts. These procedures object's color.
also take place concurrently, viz. handling and testing of
materials [2]. The figure below shows the block diagram If an object exists, the sensor generates an output
for the proposed program. frequency proportional to the color of the object and the

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 Journal of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology ISSN: 1007-6735

configuration of the selected photo diode in such a way In this, objects of 3 colors red, blue and green are chosen
that the respective photo diode is given maximum for demonstration purpose. The system output is displayed
frequency for the respective color. Therefore, when red on the LCD display i.e name of the project - automatic
filter is chosen, the sensor gives maximum frequency for color sorting, color of the object- red or blue or green and
red objects, and similarly other colored objects are also final count of the objects – item number which are sorted.
sensed by corresponding filters. Frequency obtained
during each filter selection is counted[5] and stored in
separate registers and these values are analyzed to use the
larger one to describe the object's color.

The second and third DC motors are used to control the

gateway of the particular color object. If placed object is
red, the color sensor sense the color of the object and it
sends the signal to the microcontroller and display the
name RED ITEM with the help of the LCD Display. In
our project, red object go straight ,blue drop the left side
and green object drop the right side with the help of the
gateways. The products will finally fall to the Figure 3: LCD Display
corresponding sections in the container. Above figure shows final result displayed on the LCD
display of count value of the objects which are passed on
Then the IR sensor sense how many objects moved on the the conveyor belt.
conveyer belt and it sends the signal to the
microcontroller. At the last displays the total number of 5. CONCLUSION
object moved on the conveyer belt with the help of the It is very useful with the help of color sensor and
LCD display unit. Once the power up dc motor starts, conveyor belt in large varieties of industries, particularly
moving the conveyer belt so that the objects on the in the packaging sector. Automatic sorting machine[6]
conveyer belts also starts moving. Color sensor starts increases operator performance, practicality and health.
sensing the objects which are moving on conveyer belt. This guarantees exceptional processing power and
Then the sensed signal sends to the display unit via peerless efficiency including color detection. We will of
Arduino for displaying the color of the object. course add high speed DC motors and sensors.

object sorting system using embedded system are an

embedded system approach for object color detection and
object sorting can be successfully implemented. Due to
use of embedded system for color determination, manual
efforts are reduced which produces result in improving
accuracy as well as saves money and time.

REFERENCES
Figure 2: Conveyer belt [1] Amitesha Sachdeva, Mahesh Gupta, Manish Pandey,
Prabham Khandelwal. Development Of Industrial Automatic
For this project the Arduino UN0 microcontroller is used
Multi Colour Sorting and Counting Machine Using Arduino
to monitor motion and detect objects. The microcontroller
Nano Microcontroller and TCS3200 Colour Sensor.
operates on collection of preprogrammed and stored
instructions in the memory. This then takes the [2] Dhanoj M, Reshma K V, Sheeba V, Marymol P (2015),
instructions and one by one from its programme.
Colour sensor based object sorting robot using embedded
system..
4. RESULT & DISCUSION
[3] Kunhimohammed C. K, Muhammed Saifudeen K. K, Sahna
The paper presents design, development of the sorting S, Gokul M. Sand Shaeez Usman Abdulla.(2015), Automatic
object. Using microcontroller Arduino UN0 the objects Color Sorting Machine Using TCS230 Color Sensor And PIC
are sorted as per the color. The color detection is Microcontrolle.
identified by the color sensor. The sensed signal is sent to
a microcontroller unit and sent to 16x2 LCD display for [4] Ali joy (2014) , Object Sorting Robotic Arm Based on
displaying the color of the sensed object. Here IR sensor is Colour Sensing, International Journal of Advanced Research in
used for counting the number of objects which are moved Electrical, Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, Vol. 3,
on the conveyor belt that count value is also displayed on Issue 3, pp-7741-7746.
the LCD.

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 Journal of University of Shanghai for Science and Technology ISSN: 1007-6735

[5]Vishnu r. Kale, V. A. Kulkarni,(2014), Automation of object

sorting system using pick & Place Robotic arm & image
processing , Proceedings of 3rd IRAJ International Conference,
Mumbai, India. ISBN: 978-93-82702-51-1.

[6] Vindhya Devalla, Dr . Rajesh Singh, Amit Kumar Mondal,

VivekKaundal ,(2012), Design and Development of Object
Recognition and Sorting Robot for Material Handling in
Packaging and Logistic Industries, International Journal of
Science and Advanced Technology (ISSN 2221-8386) Volume 2
No 9 , pp 30-35.

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