reach stacker with Visy ocr

SYSTEM

Reach Stacker and Top Loader OCR | TopView

Reach stackers and top loaders capture container ID on every lift, wherever your equipment moves in the yard.

Solutions and products Container Handling Reach Stacker and Top Loader OCR | TopView
Know what you move – on every reach stacker and top loader lift, in every area, with reliable container ID capture.

Visy TopView is a spreader-mounted OCR camera system for reach stackers and top loaders that automatically reads container IDs the moment your equipment locks onto a box. Visy TopView triggers recognition as soon as the twistlocks engage, giving operators a verified container identity before the move is complete.

The system shares the recognized ID in real time with the Position Detection System (PDS) and Terminal Operating System (TOS). This creates a validated digital record of every pick and updates the yard inventory and stack location, whether the reach stacker moves the container from a truck, train, or stack.

Multiple wide-angle cameras capture the container from both ends and one side. A multi-shot approach selects the event image with the highest confidence score to support a high recognition rate. If the system cannot reliably read the code from either end, it sends no result instead of risking a false match.

Learn more about TopView in the article Equip Your Container Handler with AI-Powered Spreader Cameras

Features

Box ID recognition from the left container end
A camera on the spreader reads the container code from the left end of the roof as soon as the twistlocks engage. TopView captures the code from both roof ends on every pick and runs the results through multi-stage validation before sending the verified container ID.

Box ID recognition from the right container end
A second roof-facing camera covers the opposite end of the container.

Box ID recognition from the side

A third camera reads the container’s long side, running as its own imaging subsystem alongside the two roof cameras. The system combines the side and roof reads using logic proven in real-world operations. Furthermore, this allows TopView to confirm a container code from the side when roof markings are worn – all within seconds of lock-on.
The side capture also plays a crucial role in snowy conditions. When snow obscures the roof markings, the side image provides the only usable read.

Imaging hardware
Cameras, illuminators, and the control cabinet are all mounted directly on the reach stacker or top loader spreader. The multi-camera setup provides built-in redundancy: if an issue affects one camera, the others keep the system operational. Visy selects and configures the hardware to suit the specific spreader model and site conditions.

TopView turns your entire fleet into a smart, connected operation

Equip your reach stacker with TopView

  • Eliminate errors in container stacking and loading
  • Reduce the risk of inaccurate yard inventory
  • Improve safety by removing people from hazardous environments
  • Enable automated checks against the TOS work order before the spreader attaches
  • Increase performance and improve KPIs with better CHE cycle times
reach stacker with Visy ocr

Every reach stacker deployment is configured to fit your operations.

Hardware & System
TopView mounts three cameras, illuminators, and a control cabinet directly on the reach stacker or top loader spreader. These components withstand the g-forces and outdoor conditions of daily yard operations. The installation adds dedicated TopView cabling without modifying the spreader’s existing cabling.
Multi-camera redundancy keeps the system operational if an issue affects one camera. Visy matches the number of cameras and illuminators to the specific spreader model and operational requirements.
Software & Applications
TopView runs on Visy’s in-house OCR software, trained on a large, varied dataset to deliver high recognition accuracy independent of time of day or weather. The system’s container detector logic identifies which specific box is being handled – even with several readable codes visible close together – and withholds a result rather than guessing if a code isn’t reliably readable from either end. Recognition results and images are accessible in real time through the Visy Crane Gate user application, or sent directly to your system.
Integrations
Recognized container IDs are shared in real time with the Position Detection System (PDS) and Terminal Operating System (TOS), keeping yard inventory current and triggering exception handling the moment something is off. Integration with third-party systems is flexible by design – most commonly XML over TCP/IP, though JSON and other formats and protocols are supported – fitting into your existing TOS setup with minimal disruption.
Configurations & Options
TopView is a standardized system that we adapt for compatibility with each project’s specific reach stacker or top loader model, spreader type, and operational requirements. This modular approach allows mountings, camera selection, and camera positioning to be custom-configured per piece of equipment.

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