THERMAL IMAGING REFUSE SEPARATOR

摘要

A garbage separation apparatus (20) utilizes a vibrating conveyor (24) to fo rm a thin layer of individual items in a stream of munic ipal waste (22). The individual items of municipal waste are then transferred to conveyor belts (26) in spaced apart relation. The convey or belt passes the items of municipal waste under an array of infrared lamps (28). i mmediately after being illuminated by the infrared lamps , the items of municipal waste are imaged by an infrared video system (30). The in frared video camera produces a video image wherein speci fic colors refer to a specific range of temperatures. The output of this video c amera is processed to separate monoitemperature images w hich are processed so as to drive the actuation of individual vacuum grippers out of an array of vacuum grippers (38) placed over the con veyor belt transporting the items of municipal waste. The actuation commands deriv e from a particular thermal-image depicting a particular range of temperatures and are transmitting to a sequentially arranged adjacent arr ay of vacuum grippers. Thus items of municipal waste may be separated based on their thermal properties.