Body-Worn Safety Interlock for Autonomous Machine Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing safety measures for autonomously operating machines in industrial environments are costly, inflexible, and limit machine availability, as they require static barriers and frequent shutdowns when operators enter the workspace, and implementing individual safety equipment for each machine is complex and expensive.
Innovation Solution
A body-worn device that interacts with a safety controller, providing dynamic safety by ensuring the operator is part of the safety system, using failsafe locking mechanisms, vital sign detection, and redundant evaluation units to maintain safety standards, allowing machines to operate freely with operators present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If fixed installations such as fences or barriers are used to spatially separate autonomously operating machines from operators, then safety is improved, but cost and inflexibility increase while machine availability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by replacing static fixed barriers with dynamic safety monitoring. The safety controller continuously monitors the workspace and machine status in real-time, dynamically adjusting safety measures based on actual conditions rather than relying on permanent physical separations. This allows the system to maintain safety while enabling machine operation when conditions are safe, thereby improving availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the safety function from fixed physical installations and relocates it to the control system. Instead of relying on fences and barriers to provide safety, the system uses sensors, processors, and controllers to monitor and enforce safety conditions. This extraction eliminates the need for permanent physical separations while maintaining safety requirements.
2Reliability
If fixed installations are used to seal off the work area, then safety is improved, but flexibility decreases and operators must be excluded when the area is sealed
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts safety measures based on real-time conditions. When operators need to access the workspace, the safety controller can temporarily adjust monitoring parameters or alert operators to safe zones, rather than requiring permanent exclusion. This dynamic approach maintains safety while providing operational flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The safety controller acts as an intermediary between the machine and operators. Instead of using fixed barriers that completely separate operators from the workspace, the controller mediates by monitoring conditions and communicating safety status to operators, allowing flexible access while maintaining safety through active management rather than passive physical separation.
3Reliability
If individual safety equipment is implemented for each autonomously operating machine, then machine-specific safety is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal safety controller that can monitor and control multiple different types of autonomously operating machines. Rather than requiring dedicated safety equipment for each machine type, the single safety controller is designed to handle various machine types through software configuration and adaptable sensor integration, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining machine-specific safety requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges individual machine safety functions into a centralized safety controller that manages multiple machines. By combining safety monitoring, evaluation, and control functions into a single integrated system rather than distributing them across separate equipment for each machine, the overall complexity is reduced while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage for all machines.
4Reliability
If fixed installations are used to seal off the workspace, then safety is improved, but cost increases due to expensive static safety means
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical fixed safety installations (fences, barriers, interlocks) with an electronic/software-based safety control system. The safety controller uses sensors to detect conditions and processes information to determine safety status, replacing the need for expensive physical safety infrastructure with more cost-effective electronic monitoring and control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses virtual representations and digital models of safety zones and machine work areas within the control system. Instead of requiring physical markers or extensive physical safety infrastructure, the system creates digital copies of the workspace geometry and safety parameters, allowing safety monitoring through software rather than expensive physical installations.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system (10) for safeguarding a person from an autonomously operating machine (12) that comprises a safety controller (24) for asserting control over the autonomously operating machine (12) based on an input signal (44) and a body-worn device (42) for generating the input signal (44). The body-worn device (42) comprises safety means (50) for ensuring failsafe locking and arrangement of the body-worn device (42) on the person in a predefined manner. Furthermore, the safety means (50) is configured to generate the input signal (44) only when the body-worn device is locked and arranged in the predefined manner.