Photoneo Bin Picking Studio, 3D Vision-Guided Robotic Bin Picking Software with Vision Controller

Random bin picking is hard for three separate reasons. The vision system has to find a part it can only partly see among identical parts. The robot has to reach it without hitting the bin walls, the other parts, or itself. And the robot and sensor have to agree on where everything is. Bin Picking Studio handles all three in one system: localization, path planning, and calibration are configured in the same web interface and deployed on the same controller.

Published capabilities

How a solution is built

Photoneo structures every Bin Picking Studio solution around the same eight-step setup sequence in the web interface.

1. Select the robot from the robot database, including its name, reach, and payload.
2. Upload the gripper as a CAD model and define the tool center point.
3. Upload the picked object as a CAD model, or from version 1.12, build it from a scan.
4. Set gripping and tool points directly on the part model in the virtual environment, including approach paths.
5. Load the environment as a CAD model of the cell so the bin and fixtures become collision objects.
6. Set up part localization, choosing CAD-based matching or a neural network.
7. Calibrate robot to camera with the guided wizard and verify the result visually.
8. Debug interactively in the virtual environment before switching to production.

Finished solutions are stored on the controller and can be duplicated and reused as the starting point for the next project.

What is new in versions 1.11 and 1.12

Photoneo released Bin Picking Studio 1.11 in November 2025 and 1.12 in September 2026. The changes that matter most for new projects:

• 3D model creation from scans (1.12). Build a part model from a 3D scan in the web interface, then refine it with mesh-editing tools that crop, simplify, remove noise, reorient normals, and set the origin. This removes the common deployment stall of waiting on CAD. Photoneo notes the workflow suits semi-structured setups with consistent viewing angles.
• On-demand object classification (1.12). With AI-based localization, each detected object can carry extra data such as whether it is occluded or clear, or its color group, so the robot can prioritize clean picks or route by color without a second vision system.
• Dedicated calibration and AI scanning profiles (1.12). A calibration profile applies settings Photoneo has proven for high calibration accuracy, and an AI profile captures the best color image for neural-network inference.
• Fast-Scan with MultiView (1.12). Fast-Scan confirms previously located parts have not moved so they can be picked without full re-localization, and now works in multi-sensor setups.
• Multiple bounding boxes (1.11). One vision system can hold several regions of interest, with the robot selecting the active one at runtime, instead of maintaining a separate vision system per bin.
• Calibration Fine-Alignment (1.11). An optional second pass after marker board calibration that uses the whole captured scene to reduce small cumulative errors between sensors in MultiView setups.
• PhoXi 3D Scanner Gen3 support and smaller CAD profiles (1.11). Gen3 support arrived with PhoXi Control 1.16, and CAD localization profiles can shrink to as little as 10 percent of their previous size.

Bin Picking Studio or Locator Studio

Photoneo offers two robot vision platforms. The deciding question is whether the robot can collide with anything on the way to the part.

If your parts sit flat and nothing stands between the gripper and the part, Locator Studio is usually the faster and simpler system. If parts are piled in a bin, Bin Picking Studio is the right platform.

Expansion modules

Bin Picking Studio accepts Photoneo software modules. Since version 1.11, a Software Modules page in the web interface lists every compatible module and its unlock status.

• AnyPick module for Boxes for AI depalletization of individual boxes without CAD models.
• AnyPick modules for totes and custom-trained mixed goods.
• MultiView module for combining multiple sensors into one shared coordinate space.

What you need alongside it

• 3D sensor, required. A PhoXi 3D Scanner Gen3 for static scenes, or a MotionCam-3D for dynamic scenes and scanning in motion. Size the sensor to the bin and working distance.
• Calibration hardware, required. A calibration ball for fixed-mount sensors or a marker board for robot-mounted sensors.
• Robot and robot module. A 6-axis robot from the supported database. Photoneo supplies the brand-specific robot package, including modules and the robot program. Automation Distribution also supplies robots, including Universal Robots and Yaskawa.
• CAD data. STL models of the gripper and the cell for collision checking, and CAD of the picked part, or a physical sample to model from a scan in version 1.12.
• Service coverage. Repairs-only and advance replacement plans for the sensor and Vision Controller.

Specifying Bin Picking Studio: Automation Distribution application notes

The information above is drawn from Photoneo's published documentation. This section is Automation Distribution's guidance, based on that documentation and our experience specifying these systems. It is not manufacturer specification.

• Start with a feasibility study on real parts. Surface finish decides more projects than software features. Shiny, black, transparent, or thin-walled parts behave very differently in a 3D scan than their CAD suggests. Photoneo offers feasibility studies on your parts, and we can arrange one before you commit to a cell design.
• Model the gripper honestly. Path planning can only avoid collisions with geometry it knows about. Include fingers, vacuum cups, hoses, and cable dress in the gripper model, or plan on collisions the software could not see coming.
• Design the bin with the robot in mind. Tall walls, deep corners, and sensor shadowing are where bin picking cells lose their last parts. Wall height, bin tilt, and sensor position should be settled alongside the gripper, not after it.
• Choose fixed or hand-eye mounting for the cycle, not convenience. Photoneo notes a robot-mounted sensor needs the robot to stay still during scanning, which makes hand-eye a poor fit for time-critical applications. A fixed sensor can scan while the robot places the previous part.
• Plan the empty bin. Decide what the robot and line do when the last pickable part is gone or the remaining parts are unreachable. Bounding boxes and empty scene detection make this configurable, but the recovery behavior is a cell design decision.
• Use the calibration profile and aim well under the pass mark. Photoneo's ABB walkthrough targets a calibration result under 2 mm. For small parts and tight grippers, treat that as a ceiling rather than a goal.

Frequently asked questions

What is Photoneo Bin Picking Studio?

It is Photoneo's robotic intelligence software for picking randomly oriented parts from bins. It combines Photoneo 3D sensors with CAD-based and AI-based localization, collision-free path planning for 6-axis robots, guided calibration, and a robot interface, running on the Photoneo Vision Controller.

Which robots does Bin Picking Studio support?

Photoneo's robot database covers 275+ models across 11+ brands, including ABB, Denso, Doosan, Estun, FANUC, Kawasaki, KUKA, Mitsubishi, Nachi, RobCo, Stäubli, Universal Robots, and Yaskawa. Bin Picking Studio supports 6-axis robots; for SCARA, delta, or 7-axis robots, Photoneo points to Locator Studio.

Do I need a CAD model of my part?

Not from version 1.12. Bin Picking Studio can build a part model from a 3D scan inside the web interface. CAD import in STL or PLY is still supported, and AI-based localization is available for applications suited to neural networks.

How many sensors can one system use?

Up to four vision systems per solution, each with its own sensor, calibration type, and scanning profile. The Vision Controller provides four dedicated ports for scanning devices.

What is the difference between Bin Picking Studio and Locator Studio?

Bin Picking Studio adds full path planning and collision avoidance for picking from bins with 6-axis robots. Locator Studio targets simpler, collision-free picking of oriented or semi-oriented parts and works with robots of any kinematics over an open TCP/IP protocol.

Can the sensor be mounted on the robot?

Yes. Bin Picking Studio supports both fixed sensors with extrinsic calibration and robot-mounted sensors with hand-eye calibration. Hand-eye mounting lets a smaller sensor cover larger bins or several bins, at the cost of the robot pausing to scan.

Can I test a solution before running production?

Yes. Simulation mode runs robot movements on real or simulated data, which is useful for checking joint limits and gripper design before the cell goes live.

Product information on this page is taken from Photoneo published product documentation and release notes. Specifications are subject to change by the manufacturer.