Actuator Motion State Grid for Safe Limit Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Actuators in robotics often operate beyond their kinematic and dynamic limits, leading to potential damage and the need for safe operational limits to be established.

Innovation Solution

A method for classifying and controlling the motion of actuators by determining safe and unsafe motion states based on potential motion trajectories and state constraints, using a grid of classified motion states to control the actuator.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If actuators operate beyond their kinematic and dynamic limits, then productivity and operational range are improved, but reliability and safety deteriorate due to potential damage to the actuator and environment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational rangeVSAvoidsafety

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-calculates and stores a grid of safe motion states before operation. By determining which states are safe in advance and storing them for quick reference, the system enables real-time safety checks without limiting operational range, thus maintaining both productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control system continuously monitors the actuator's current state and compares it against the pre-determined safe motion states. This feedback mechanism allows the system to operate at the boundaries of safe regions while automatically preventing operations that would exceed limits, balancing operational range with safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If a grid of motion states is pre-determined and stored for safety classification, then safety and reliability are improved, but device complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidcomputational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The computationally intensive task of determining safe motion states is performed in advance and stored in a lookup table. During actual operation, the system only needs to perform simple comparisons against the pre-computed grid, dramatically reducing real-time computational requirements while maintaining high safety standards

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces complex real-time computational analysis with a simpler lookup-based approach. By substituting the computational mechanism with a pre-computed reference table, the system reduces processing complexity while preserving safety classification accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS20250026016A1Apparatuses and methods for classifying and/or controlling motion of an actuator

Publication Date: 2025.01.23 SONY GROUP CORP

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a concept for classifying and/or controlling motion of an actuator. The concept is based on classifying potential motion states (90) located within motion limits of the actuator as safe or unsafe based on one or more potential motion trajectories and motion state constraints. Then, a current motion state of the actuator may be determined, and the actuator may be controlled based on the actuator's current motion state and a grid of motion states (100) classified as safe or unsafe.