Triple protection method and system for safe operation of mechanical arm in contact network environment

Abstract

The invention discloses a triple protection method and system for safe operation of a mechanical arm in an overhead line system environment, and the method comprises the following steps: S1, assigning an operation task and an operation position on an offline simulation subsystem, carrying out the operation simulation of the mechanical arm, and obtaining an offline simulation planning path; s2, the mechanical arm carries out online correction in an online environment subsystem according to an offline simulation planning path in combination with online environment data, and in the process, the mechanical arm carries out collision prediction in advance before executing a movement track; if collision is predicted, the steps S1-S2 are repeated until a collision-free path is found or the maximum number of planning times is exceeded, and an online planning path is obtained; s3, the mechanical arm works according to the online planned path, and in the working process, whether collision occurs or not is detected through a collision torque detection system of the mechanical arm; and if collision occurs, the mechanical arm stops moving immediately. Triple protection can be provided for operation of the mechanical arm, and safe operation of the mechanical arm under the overhead line system maintenance environment is guaranteed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of robot technology, and in particular to a triple protection method and system for safe operation of a robot arm in a contact network environment. Background Art

[0002] At present, the maintenance and overhaul of railway contact network equipment mainly rely on manual operation. However, this traditional manual overhaul method has many problems and challenges. Manual overhaul often requires a large amount of labor, has high labor intensity, and is prone to various safety problems. Due to the wide distribution of contact network equipment and long operation and maintenance lines, manual overhaul is inefficient, time-consuming and labor-intensive. During manual overhaul, due to the particularity of contact network equipment, workers face high safety risks. Once an accident occurs, it may cause casualties and equipment damage. In order to solve the above problems, an important method is to introduce robotic arm technology. The robotic arm has the advantages of high precision, fast speed and strong power, which can greatly improve the overhaul efficiency of contact network equipment. At the same time, combining the advantages of humans and robotic arms can reduce the operating risks and labor intensity of maintenance workers while ensuring operating efficiency. However, there are also some potential risks when the robotic arm performs overhaul tasks in the contact network environment. For example, if the interaction between the robotic arm and the contact network equipment, between the robotic arm, and between the robotic arm and the on-site operator is not effectively managed and controlled, collisions may occur, resulting in casualties and equipment damage. Therefore, it is particularly important to design a robot arm safe operation protection system in the contact network environment. This system can monitor the movement state and surrounding environment of the robot arm in real time through advanced sensors and control technology, avoid collision accidents, ensure the safe and stable operation of the contact network equipment, and also protect the life safety of on-site operators.

[0003] The existing robot arm collision detection mainly relies on the torque detection function of the robot arm. However, it can only detect a collision after it occurs and cannot predict in advance whether a collision will occur. For contact network operations, once a collision occurs, it will cause great damage to the contact network equipment or on-site operators. It is necessary to be able to sense the occurrence of a collision in advance before the robot arm collides, so as to avoid the collision. The method of relying solely on the robot arm's own collision torque detection cannot meet the safety requirements of contact network operations.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a system with offline / online environment collision detection, safe path planning and active safety control functions of the robotic arm is an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a triple protection method and system for safe operation of a robot arm in a contact network environment.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0007] On the one hand, a triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment is provided, comprising the following steps:

[0008] S1: Specify the operation task and operation position on the offline simulation subsystem, carry out the robot operation simulation, and obtain the offline simulation planning path;

[0009] S2: The robot arm plans the path according to the offline simulation, and performs online correction in the online environment subsystem in combination with the data of the online environment. In this process, the robot arm performs collision prediction in advance before executing the motion trajectory;

[0010] If a collision is predicted, steps S1-S2 are repeated until a collision-free path is found or the maximum number of planning times is exceeded, and an online planning path is obtained;

[0011] S3: The robot arm performs operation according to the online planned path, and during the operation, the robot arm's collision torque detection system detects whether a collision occurs; if a collision occurs, the robot arm stops moving immediately.

[0012] Preferably, in step S1, when simulating the operation of the robot arm, if it is predicted that the planned path will collide, the path is replanned, and the simulation is stopped after the planned number of times is exceeded.

[0013] Preferably, in step S1, the offline simulation subsystem includes a Unity host computer, and the Unity host computer can display on-site operation images, real-time status of the robotic arm, and complete robotic arm path simulation, collision detection, and robotic arm manual control functions.

[0014] Preferably, the Unity host computer includes a data input module, a path planning module, a collision detection module and a simulation display module.

[0015] Preferably, in step S2, the online environment subsystem includes a robot control box, a robot body, a robot control panel, a computer, a depth camera and a laser radar, the robot control box is connected to the offline simulation subsystem, the robot body, the robot control panel and the computer respectively, and the depth camera and the laser radar are connected to the computer.

[0016] Preferably, the robot control box is connected to the robot body and the robot control panel via a dedicated cable.

[0017] Preferably, the robot arm control box is connected to the computer via Ethernet.

[0018] Preferably, the computer is connected to the depth camera via a USB, and the computer is connected to the laser radar via an RJ45 twisted pair cable.

[0019] Preferably, the robotic arm is provided with an active safety control module, and the active safety control module can control the robotic arm to perform an emergency stop.

[0020] On the other hand, a triple protection system for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment is also provided, including an offline simulation subsystem, an online environment subsystem, and a manipulator active safety control module;

[0021] The offline simulation subsystem is used to specify the operation task and operation position, and to carry out the robot operation simulation to obtain the offline simulation planning path;

[0022] The online environment subsystem is used to enable the robot arm to perform online correction according to the offline simulation planning path combined with the data of the online environment to obtain the online planned path; and in the online correction process, collision prediction is performed in advance before the robot arm executes the motion trajectory;

[0023] The robotic arm active safety control module is used to detect whether the robotic arm collides and control the robotic arm to stop moving.

[0024] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0025] 1. The present invention can effectively prevent and reduce possible collision accidents during operation through a triple safety guarantee framework, namely, the offline simulation subsystem, the online environment subsystem and the active safety control of the robot arm itself, thereby protecting the safety of on-site workers and other equipment. Even when the control system is abnormal, the robot arm's own active safety control mechanism can still serve as the last line of defense to avoid or mitigate collisions, thereby reducing the overall operation risk.

[0026] 2. The present invention utilizes an offline simulation subsystem to perform path planning simulation, which can predict and plan the best path to avoid collisions before actually performing the task, thereby reducing downtime during operation and improving efficiency.

[0027] 3. The present invention utilizes the depth camera and lidar sensor carried by the online environment subsystem to obtain on-site operation information in real time. Combined with the commands received from the offline simulation subsystem, the motion trajectory of the robotic arm can be adjusted in time to cope with emergencies in the actual environment.

[0028] 4. The use of Unity host computer enables operators to manually control the robot arm and simulate the path offline, which increases the flexibility of operation and helps operators better understand the working environment and task requirements. By displaying the on-site operation images and the real-time status of the robot arm on the Unity host computer, operators can obtain more intuitive information support and make more accurate operation decisions. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0030] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the process of offline simulation planning path and online planning path of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of the triple protection system for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments in this application and the technical features in the embodiments can be combined with each other. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meanings as those generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs. The words "including" or "comprising" and the like used in the disclosure of the present invention mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects.

[0033] like Figure 1-2 As shown, the present invention provides a triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment, comprising the following steps:

[0034] S1: Specify the work task and work location on the offline simulation subsystem, carry out robot arm operation simulation, and obtain the offline simulation planning path.

[0035] In a specific embodiment, when simulating the operation of a robot arm, if it is predicted that a planned path will collide, the path is replanned, and the simulation is stopped after the planned number of times is exceeded.

[0036] In a specific embodiment, the offline simulation subsystem includes a Unity host computer, which can display on-site operation images, real-time status of the robotic arm, and complete robotic arm path simulation, collision detection, and robotic arm manual control functions.

[0037] In a specific embodiment, the Unity host computer includes a data input module, a path planning module, a collision detection module and a simulation display module.

[0038] In a specific embodiment, first draw the solidwork model of the robot arm and the contact network arm, import the solidwork three-dimensional model of the robot arm and the contact network into the Unity host computer, establish a data communication interface with the robot arm controller, and obtain the robot arm status data in real time. Update the position and posture of the three-dimensional model according to the real-time status of the robot arm. Use the RRT path planning algorithm to generate the motion path of the robot arm, use the physical engine of the Unity host computer to simulate the motion of the robot arm, detect the collision between the robot arm and the obstacle in real time, and mark the potential collision area. The Unity host computer can display the real-time status of the joint angle, speed, torque, etc. of the robot arm. Display the motion path of the robot arm and display the collision detection results in real time.

[0039] S2: The robot arm plans the path according to the offline simulation, and performs online correction in the online environment subsystem in combination with the data of the online environment. In this process, the robot arm performs collision prediction in advance before executing the motion trajectory;

[0040] If a collision is predicted, steps S1-S2 are repeated until a collision-free path is found or the maximum number of planning times is exceeded, and an online planning path is obtained.

[0041] In a specific embodiment, the online environment subsystem includes a robotic arm control box, a robotic arm body, a robotic arm control panel, a computer, a depth camera and a laser radar. The robotic arm control box is respectively connected to the offline simulation subsystem, the robotic arm body, the robotic arm control panel and the computer, and the depth camera and the laser radar are connected to the computer.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the main function of the online environment subsystem is to provide an online environment for real-time motion planning of the robot arm, equipped with a depth camera and a three-dimensional laser radar sensor to obtain on-site operation information. The online environment subsystem is connected via Ethernet, uploads the acquired on-site operation images to the offline simulation subsystem, and receives information and commands from the offline simulation subsystem.

[0043] In a specific embodiment, the robotic arm control box is connected to the robotic arm body and the robotic arm control panel via a dedicated cable; the robotic arm control box is connected to the computer via Ethernet; the computer and the depth camera are connected via USB, and the computer and the laser radar are connected via an RJ45 twisted pair cable.

[0044] In a specific embodiment, a three-dimensional laser radar is first used to scan the on-site working environment information, and the collected data is converted into a point cloud format. The collected data is filtered and denoised to reduce the impact of noise on collision detection and path planning. The scanned contact network arm point cloud model is segmented to identify the mechanical arm, the contact network arm and other obstacles. The mechanical arm uses the RRT path planning algorithm in this environment to generate the movement path of the mechanical arm. While performing path planning, the mechanical arm needs to perform collision detection with obstacles. The collision detection mainly includes collision detection between the mechanical arm and the contact network arm model and collision detection of the mechanical arm itself. The collision detection uses a bounding box algorithm to establish a bounding box model between the mechanical arm and the contact network arm and calculate the distance between the bounding boxes for collision detection. When a collision is detected, the path of the mechanical arm is adjusted in time or the movement is stopped to avoid an actual collision.

[0045] S3: The robot arm performs operation according to the online planned path, and during the operation, the robot arm's collision torque detection system detects whether a collision occurs; if a collision occurs, the robot arm stops moving immediately.

[0046] In a specific embodiment, an active safety control module is provided on the robotic arm, and the active safety control module can control the robotic arm to perform an emergency stop.

[0047] In a specific embodiment, when the robot arm is carrying out online collision detection and path planning, if the robot arm collides, the robot arm will immediately stop moving when a collision is detected by utilizing the collision torque detection function of the robot arm. At the same time, if the operator on site finds that a collision is about to occur, the emergency stop button on the robot arm operation panel can also be used to perform an emergency stop operation on the robot arm.

[0048] On the other hand, a triple protection system for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment is also provided, including an offline simulation subsystem, an online environment subsystem, and a manipulator active safety control module;

[0049] The offline simulation subsystem is used to specify the operation task and operation position, and to carry out the robot operation simulation to obtain the offline simulation planning path;

[0050] The online environment subsystem is used to enable the robot arm to perform online correction according to the offline simulation planning path combined with the data of the online environment to obtain the online planned path; and in the online correction process, collision prediction is performed in advance before the robot arm executes the motion trajectory;

[0051] The robotic arm active safety control module is used to detect whether the robotic arm collides and control the robotic arm to stop moving.

[0052] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and does not constitute any form of limitation to the present invention. Although the present invention has been disclosed as a preferred embodiment as above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any technician familiar with the profession can make some changes or modifications to equivalent embodiments of equivalent changes using the technical contents disclosed above without departing from the scope of the technical solution of the present invention. However, any simple modification, equivalent change and modification made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the content of the technical solution of the present invention still falls within the scope of the technical solution of the present invention.

Claims

1. A triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment. It is characterized in that The following steps are involved: S1: Specify the operation task and operation position on the offline simulation subsystem, carry out the robot operation simulation, and obtain the offline simulation planning path; S2: The robot arm plans the path according to the offline simulation, and performs online correction in the online environment subsystem in combination with the data of the online environment. In this process, the robot arm performs collision prediction in advance before executing the motion trajectory; If a collision is predicted, steps S1-S2 are repeated until a collision-free path is found or the maximum number of planning times is exceeded, and an online planning path is obtained; S3: the robot arm performs operation according to the online planned path, and during the operation, a collision torque detection system of the robot arm detects whether a collision occurs; If a collision occurs, the robot arm stops moving immediately.

2. According to the triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment as described in claim 1, It is characterized in that In step S1, when simulating the operation of the robot arm, if the predicted planned path will collide, the path is replanned, and the simulation is stopped after the planned number of times is exceeded.

3. According to the triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment as described in claim 1, It is characterized in that In step S1, the offline simulation subsystem includes a Unity host computer, which can display on-site operation images, real-time status of the robotic arm, and complete robotic arm path simulation, collision detection, and robotic arm manual control functions.

4. The triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator under a contact network environment according to claim 3, It is characterized in that The Unity host computer includes a data input module, a path planning module, a collision detection module and a simulation display module.

5. According to the triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment as described in claim 1, It is characterized in that In step S2, the online environment subsystem includes a robot control box, a robot body, a robot control panel, a computer, a depth camera and a laser radar. The robot control box is connected to the offline simulation subsystem, the robot body, the robot control panel and the computer respectively, and the depth camera and the laser radar are connected to the computer.

6. The triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The robot arm control box is connected to the robot arm body and the robot arm control panel via a dedicated cable.

7. The triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator under a contact network environment according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The robot arm control box is connected to the computer via Ethernet.

8. The triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment according to claim 5, It is characterized in that The computer is connected to the depth camera via a USB, and the computer is connected to the laser radar via an RJ45 twisted pair cable.

9. A triple protection method for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment according to any one of claims 1 to 8, It is characterized in that The robotic arm is provided with an active safety control module, and the active safety control module can control the robotic arm to perform an emergency stop.

10. A triple protection system for safe operation of a manipulator in a contact network environment. It is characterized in that It includes offline simulation subsystem, online environment subsystem and active safety control module of robotic arm; The offline simulation subsystem is used to specify the operation task and operation position, and to carry out the robot operation simulation to obtain the offline simulation planning path; The online environment subsystem is used to enable the robot arm to plan the path according to the offline simulation, and to perform online correction in combination with the data of the online environment to obtain the online planned path; And during the online correction process, collision prediction is performed in advance before the robot arm executes the motion trajectory; The robotic arm active safety control module is used to detect whether the robotic arm collides and control the robotic arm to stop moving.

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