Collision warning guard device for industrial robot based on flexible sensor

Abstract

The utility model discloses an industrial robot collision early warning protection device based on flexible sensor, include: flexible protection body, the preset part of industrial robot is covered, deformation detection module is set up in the inside of flexible protection body, is used for when the deformation of flexible protection body is affected by external force, produces and the deformation degree related inductive electric signal, signal processing module is configured as receiving and processing inductive electric signal to generate control instruction, communication interface module is used for sending control instruction to the control system of industrial robot to make control system according to control instruction to the corresponding action of industrial robot is executed, early warning module is used for according to control instruction sends the early warning signal of preset. Its remarkable effect is: realized the collision early warning and the buffer protection of providing when colliding to robot simultaneously, effectively guaranteed the continuity of industrial robot work.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of industrial robot control technology, specifically to an industrial robot collision warning and protection device based on flexible sensors. Background Technology

[0002] Industrial robots are multi-jointed manipulators or multi-degree-of-freedom robots designed for industrial applications. They generally consist of three basic parts: an actuator, a drive system, and a control system. During the execution of commands, the actuator of an industrial robot may collide with other external objects. Such collisions not only affect the normal operation of the robot but can also damage it in severe cases, resulting in significant losses.

[0003] Existing collision avoidance measures for industrial robots often employ light- or ultrasonic ranging sensors to detect whether the distance between the robot and an obstacle exceeds a warning threshold, thus providing an early warning before a collision occurs. However, these ranging sensors are all rigid structures, and therefore cannot simultaneously provide cushioning protection during a collision, making them susceptible to damage to the ranging sensors or personal injury in the event of a collision. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, the purpose of this invention is to provide an industrial robot collision warning and protection device based on a flexible sensor. By combining a flexible sensor with an elastic protective body, it can provide pre-collision warning and buffer protection for the robot during a collision.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by this utility model is as follows: A collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors, the key features of which include: A flexible protective body that covers pre-designed areas of the industrial robot; A deformation detection module is disposed inside the flexible protective body. The deformation detection module is used to generate an induced electrical signal related to the degree of deformation when the flexible protective body is deformed by external force. A signal processing module is electrically connected to the deformation detection module, and the signal processing module is configured to receive and process the induced electrical signal to generate control commands; A communication interface module is electrically connected to the signal processing module. The communication interface module is used to send the control command to the control system of the industrial robot, so that the control system can perform corresponding actions on the industrial robot according to the control command. The early warning module is electrically connected to the signal processing module, and the early warning module is used to issue a preset early warning signal according to the control command.

[0006] Furthermore, the flexible protective body has a hollow structure with multiple reinforcing ribs integrally formed on its inner wall, and the sensing surface of the deformation detection module is in contact with the reinforcing ribs.

[0007] Furthermore, the multiple reinforcing ribs are arranged in an interlaced manner to form a mesh structure.

[0008] Furthermore, the deformation detection module includes a flexible substrate layer and multiple sensor units embedded in the flexible substrate layer and distributed in an array.

[0009] Furthermore, the sensor unit is a flexible sensor based on the piezoresistive effect, capacitive effect, or piezoelectric effect.

[0010] Furthermore, the signal processing module includes a signal amplification circuit, a filtering and noise reduction circuit, and a microcontroller. The signal amplification circuit is used to amplify the induced electrical signal, the filtering and noise reduction circuit is used to filter the amplified induced electrical signal, and the microcontroller is used to generate control commands based on the filtered induced electrical signal.

[0011] Furthermore, the signal amplification circuit includes a low-noise amplifier U1 and an operational amplifier U2. The input terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is connected to the output terminal of the filter unit via a resistor R11 in series. The input terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is also connected to ground via a capacitor C11 in series. The output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier U2 via a resistor R13. The output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is also connected to the power supply VCC via an inductor L1 and a resistor R12 in series. The common terminal of the inductor L1 and the resistor R12 is also grounded via parallel capacitors C12 and C13. The common terminal of the output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 and the resistor R13 is also grounded via a capacitor C14. The non-inverting input terminal of operational amplifier U2 is connected to power supply VCC via resistor R14. The output terminal of operational amplifier U2 is connected to the input terminal of the AD conversion unit. The output terminal of operational amplifier U2 is also connected to its inverting input terminal via capacitor C16 and resistor R16 connected in parallel. The non-inverting input terminal of operational amplifier U2 is also grounded via resistor R15.

[0012] Furthermore, the device also includes a mounting assembly, which includes a mounting base adapted to the contour of a preset part of the industrial robot, and the flexible protective body is detachably fixed to the mounting base by a fastening structure.

[0013] Furthermore, the communication interface module is a wired communication interface or a wireless communication unit. The wired communication interface is an industrial Ethernet interface or a CAN bus interface, and the wireless communication unit is a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, or a ZigBee module.

[0014] The significant advantages of this invention are: 1. This utility model combines a deformation detection module capable of sensing minute deformations with an elastic flexible protective body to construct a closed-loop protection device that can distinguish between early warning and collision based on the degree of deformation and actively send signals to the robot control system to achieve deceleration or emergency stop. It realizes early warning before collision and provides buffer protection for the robot during collision, which can not only avoid collisions of industrial robots, but also effectively avoid damage to the ranging sensor or injury to personnel caused by collisions.

[0015] 2. This device uses deformation detection to provide early warning before collisions. Compared with existing distance measurement-based early warning systems, it avoids false alarms caused by obstructed distance measurement signals, effectively ensuring the continuous operation of industrial robots and helping companies avoid losses caused by industrial robot downtime. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a circuit block diagram of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of the flexible protective body and the mounting components; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cooperative structure of the flexible protective body and the deformation detection module; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the deformation detection module. Figure 5 This is the circuit schematic of the aforementioned signal amplification circuit; Figure 6 This is the circuit schematic of the filtering and noise reduction circuit. Figure 7 This is the circuit diagram of the early warning module. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The specific embodiments and working principle of this utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Flexible sensors are sensors made of flexible materials. They have good flexibility, ductility, and can even be bent or folded freely. Moreover, their structures are flexible and diverse, and can be arranged arbitrarily according to the requirements of measurement conditions. They can conveniently detect complex measured units.

[0019] Based on the aforementioned characteristics of flexible sensors, this embodiment proposes a collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors. It combines a deformation detection module capable of sensing minute deformations with a flexible, elastic protective body to construct a closed-loop protection system that can distinguish between warnings and collisions based on the degree of deformation and actively send signals to the robot control system to achieve deceleration or emergency stopping. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors is specifically implemented in the following manner: like Figures 1-3 As shown in the example, the collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors described in this example specifically includes the following structure: Mounting component 10, which is adapted to the contour of the preset part of the industrial robot; The flexible protective body 20 is detachably fixed to the mounting assembly 10 by a fastening structure and covers a preset part of the industrial robot; A deformation detection module 30 is disposed inside each of the flexible protective bodies 20. The deformation detection module 30 is used to generate an induced electrical signal related to the degree of deformation when the flexible protective body 20 is deformed by external force. A signal processing module is electrically connected to the deformation detection module 30. The signal processing module is configured to receive and process the induced electrical signal to generate control commands. A communication interface module is electrically connected to the signal processing module. The communication interface module is used to send the control command to the control system of the industrial robot, so that the control system can perform corresponding actions on the industrial robot according to the control command. The early warning module is electrically connected to the signal processing module, and the early warning module is used to issue a preset early warning signal according to the control command.

[0020] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the flexible protective body 20 has a hollow structure with multiple reinforcing ribs 40 integrally formed on its inner wall. The sensing surface of the deformation detection module 30 is in contact with the reinforcing ribs 40, and the deformation detection module 30 is disposed inside the flexible protective body 20.

[0021] In this embodiment, the flexible protective body 20 of the central control structure can not only facilitate the installation of the deformation detection module 30, but the reinforcing ribs 40 can also effectively improve the structural rigidity and buffering performance of the flexible protective body 20.

[0022] Preferably, the multiple reinforcing ribs 40 are arranged in an interlaced manner to form a mesh structure, thereby further improving the structural stiffness and buffering performance of the flexible protective body 20.

[0023] from Figure 2It can also be seen that the mounting assembly 10 includes a mounting base 11 adapted to the contour of the preset part of the industrial robot, and the flexible protective body 20 is detachably fixed to the mounting base 11 by a fastening structure 12. Since industrial robots are mostly irregularly shaped, using a mounting base adapted to the contour of the preset part of the industrial robot can better fix it to the preset part of the industrial robot, that is, it can better install the flexible protective body 20 on the industrial robot. The fastening structure can be a bolt, a snap-fit ​​structure, or an adhesive structure, etc. This embodiment does not design improvements to them, so no specific limitations are made.

[0024] In the specific implementation process, the flexible protective body 20 and the reinforcing rib 40 are integrally formed and are both made of elastic polymer material. The elastic polymer material is selected from at least one of polyurethane elastomer, silicone rubber, nitrile rubber or EPDM rubber.

[0025] In practical implementation, the deformation detection modules 30 located at various preset parts on the industrial robot can also be networked and transmitted to the same signal processing module, thereby reducing the implementation cost of this device.

[0026] See appendix Figure 4 The deformation detection module 30 includes a flexible substrate 31 and multiple sensor units 32 embedded in the flexible substrate 31 and arranged in an array to identify the collision orientation. In implementation, the sensor units 32 are flexible sensors based on piezoresistive, capacitive, or piezoelectric effects. In this example, a flexible sensor based on the piezoelectric effect is selected.

[0027] In practice, the flexible sensor can be either the CN0110 flexible pressure sensor from Tianze Electronics or the SPF05-10 flexible pressure sensor from Huiwen Technology.

[0028] Furthermore, the signal processing module includes a signal amplification circuit, a filtering and noise reduction circuit, and a microcontroller. The signal amplification circuit is used to amplify the induced electrical signal, the filtering and noise reduction circuit is used to filter the amplified induced electrical signal, and the microcontroller is used to generate control commands based on the filtered induced electrical signal.

[0029] In this example, the microcontroller generates control instructions in the following specific way: The characteristic value of the induced electrical signal is compared with a first preset threshold and a second preset threshold, wherein the second preset threshold is greater than the first preset threshold; When the feature value exceeds the first preset threshold but does not exceed the second preset threshold, an early warning control command is generated; When the feature value exceeds the second preset threshold, an emergency shutdown control command is generated.

[0030] In practice, the early warning control command is used to control the industrial robot to reduce its operating speed or stop its movement, and the emergency stop control command is used to control the industrial robot to immediately cut off its power and perform braking.

[0031] See appendix Figure 5 The signal amplification circuit includes a low-noise amplifier U1 and an operational amplifier U2. The input terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is connected to the output terminal of the deformation detection module 30 via a resistor R11 in series. The input terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is also connected to ground via a capacitor C11 in series. The output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier U2 via a resistor R13. The output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is also connected to the power supply VCC via an inductor L1 and a resistor R12 in series. The common terminal of the inductor L1 and the resistor R12 is also grounded via a parallel capacitor C12 and a capacitor C13. The common terminal of the output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 and the resistor R13 is also grounded via a capacitor C14. The non-inverting input of operational amplifier U2 is connected to power supply VCC via resistor R14. The output of operational amplifier U2 is connected to the input of the filtering and noise reduction circuit. The output of operational amplifier U2 is also connected to its inverting input via capacitor C16 and resistor R16 connected in parallel. The non-inverting input of operational amplifier U2 is also grounded via resistor R15.

[0032] In this embodiment, the induced electrical signal collected by the deformation detection module 30 is amplified twice by a low-noise amplifier U1 and an operational amplifier U2, and then filtered by a filtering and noise reduction circuit before being input to the microcontroller, thereby effectively improving the signal detection sensitivity of the deformation detection module 30.

[0033] See appendix Figure 6 The filtering and noise reduction circuit includes a filter U3. The input terminal of the filter U3 is connected to the output terminal of the signal amplification circuit, and the output terminal of the filter U3 is connected to the input terminal PB4 of the microcontroller via a capacitor C13.

[0034] In this example, the microcontroller uses an Arduino Uno development board. The filter U4 is a MAX7427EUA low-pass elliptic filter.

[0035] See appendix Figure 7In this embodiment, the early warning module includes an optocoupler U4 and a voltage comparator U5. The input terminal of the optocoupler U4 is connected to the output terminal PB8 of the microcontroller via resistor R31. The output terminal of the optocoupler U4 is grounded via resistor R32. The output terminal of the optocoupler U4 is also connected to the inverting input terminal of the voltage comparator U5 via resistor R41. The non-inverting input terminal of the voltage comparator U5 is connected to the sliding terminal of resistor R43. The two fixed terminals of resistor R43 are connected to the output terminal and the ground terminal of the optocoupler U4, respectively. The output terminal of the voltage comparator U5 is connected to the cathode of the light-emitting diode D7. The anode of the light-emitting diode D7 is connected to the output terminal of the optocoupler U4 via resistor R42. The output terminal of the voltage comparator U5 is also connected to the output terminal of the optocoupler U4 via a buzzer H1. The inverting input terminal of the voltage comparator U5 is also grounded via a reverse-biased Zener diode D6.

[0036] When the non-inverting terminal of voltage comparator U5 is at a higher potential than the inverting terminal, the output of voltage comparator U5 will be pulled high to approximately VCC voltage level. At this time, the anode and cathode voltages of LED D7 are equal, so no current flows and LED D7 will not light up. Similarly, buzzer H1 will not sound. If the voltage at the inverting terminal is higher than the voltage at the non-inverting terminal, the output of voltage comparator U5 will be pulled low to ground level, so LED D7 will light up because of the potential difference between its two ends, and buzzer H1 will sound an alarm.

[0037] Based on the above description, the principle of this device is as follows: First, the mounting components are secured to the industrial robot at pre-defined locations where collisions may occur using fasteners such as adhesives or bolts. Next, the flexible protective body, in which the deformation detection module is installed, is detachably fixed to the mounting base of the mounting assembly by a fastening structure; Then, the deformation detection module is used to detect whether the flexible protective body is deformed by external force. If deformation occurs, an induced electrical signal related to the degree of deformation is generated. Next, the signal amplification circuit in the signal processing module amplifies the induced electrical signal in two stages, and the noise reduction and filtering circuit filters the amplified signal. The microcontroller compares the characteristic value of the filtered induced electrical signal with the first preset threshold and the second preset threshold, and generates a warning control command or an emergency stop control command based on the comparison result. Finally, the communication interface module sends the control command to the control system of the industrial robot, so that the control system can perform corresponding actions on the industrial robot according to the control command; at the same time, the early warning module sends a preset early warning signal.

[0038] In summary, this device provides both pre-collision warning and collision buffer protection for the robot. It not only prevents industrial robots from colliding but also effectively avoids damage to the ranging sensor or injury to personnel caused by collisions. Compared to existing ranging-based warning systems, it avoids false alarms caused by obstructed ranging signals, effectively ensuring the continuous operation of industrial robots and helping companies avoid losses caused by industrial robot downtime.

[0039] The technical solution provided by this utility model has been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principle and implementation of this utility model. The descriptions of the embodiments above are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core idea of ​​this utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from the principle of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications also fall within the protection scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors, characterized in that, include: A flexible protective body that covers pre-designed areas of the industrial robot; A deformation detection module is disposed inside the flexible protective body. The deformation detection module is used to generate an induced electrical signal related to the degree of deformation when the flexible protective body is deformed by external force. A signal processing module is electrically connected to the deformation detection module, and the signal processing module is configured to receive and process the induced electrical signal to generate control commands; A communication interface module is electrically connected to the signal processing module. The communication interface module is used to send the control command to the control system of the industrial robot, so that the control system can perform corresponding actions on the industrial robot according to the control command. The early warning module is electrically connected to the signal processing module, and the early warning module is used to issue a preset early warning signal according to the control command.

2. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flexible protective body has a hollow structure with multiple reinforcing ribs integrally formed on its inner wall, and the sensing surface of the deformation detection module is in contact with the reinforcing ribs.

3. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 2, characterized in that: The multiple reinforcing ribs are arranged in an interlaced manner to form a mesh structure.

4. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The deformation detection module includes a flexible substrate layer and multiple sensor units embedded in the flexible substrate layer and distributed in an array.

5. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sensor unit is a flexible sensor based on the piezoresistive effect, capacitive effect, or piezoelectric effect.

6. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signal processing module includes a signal amplification circuit, a filtering and noise reduction circuit, and a microcontroller. The signal amplification circuit is used to amplify the induced electrical signal, the filtering and noise reduction circuit is used to filter the amplified induced electrical signal, and the microcontroller is used to generate control commands based on the filtered induced electrical signal.

7. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 6, characterized in that: The signal amplification circuit includes a low-noise amplifier U1 and an operational amplifier U2. The input terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is connected to the output terminal of the deformation detection module via a resistor R11 in series. The input terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is also connected to ground via a capacitor C11 in series. The output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is connected to the inverting input terminal of the operational amplifier U2 via a resistor R13. The output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 is also connected to the power supply VCC via an inductor L1 and a resistor R12 in series. The common terminal of the inductor L1 and the resistor R12 is also grounded via a parallel capacitor C12 and a capacitor C13. The common terminal of the output terminal of the low-noise amplifier U1 and the resistor R13 is also grounded via a capacitor C14. The non-inverting input of operational amplifier U2 is connected to power supply VCC via resistor R14. The output of operational amplifier U2 is connected to the input of the filtering and noise reduction circuit. The output of operational amplifier U2 is also connected to its inverting input via capacitor C16 and resistor R16 connected in parallel. The non-inverting input of operational amplifier U2 is also grounded via resistor R15.

8. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a mounting assembly, which includes a mounting base adapted to the contour of a preset part of the industrial robot, and the flexible protective body is detachably fixed to the mounting base by a fastening structure.

9. The collision warning and protection device for industrial robots based on flexible sensors according to claim 1, characterized in that: The communication interface module is a wired communication interface or a wireless communication unit. The wired communication interface is an industrial Ethernet interface or a CAN bus interface, and the wireless communication unit is a Bluetooth module, a Wi-Fi module, or a ZigBee module.

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