Camera-Based Emergency Shutdown for Hand-Guided Tools
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hand-guided tools with motor drives lack effective safety mechanisms to prevent accidental injuries, as they often require manual operation and do not have built-in safety devices to detect human presence in their danger zones.
Innovation Solution
Integration of a camera and evaluation unit with image processing software to monitor a predefined danger area, generating warning signals or shutting down the tool if a human body part is detected, potentially aided by additional sensors for increased reliability and spatial monitoring using multiple cameras.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If hand-guided tools are equipped with safety devices like two actuation buttons, then safety level improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical safety devices (actuation buttons) with an optical detection system consisting of cameras and image processing software. The camera-based system detects human body parts in the danger area through image processing, eliminating the need for complex mechanical safety switches while achieving comparable or superior safety performance.
2Measurement precision
If cameras and image processing software are integrated into hand-guided tools, then detection precision improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system serves multiple functions: it monitors the danger area for safety purposes, documents work steps, and can potentially provide feedback for guidance. By making the camera multi-functional, the patent justifies the added device complexity through enhanced versatility and value.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation unit with image processing software automatically analyzes camera images to detect human body parts, eliminating the need for manual monitoring. The system serves itself by autonomously processing visual data and triggering appropriate safety responses without requiring additional operational complexity from the user.
3Reliability
If multiple sensors and cameras are added to increase detection reliability, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple detection approaches (cameras with different angles of view, infrared sensors, ultrasound sensors, temperature sensors) into a unified evaluation system. The evaluation unit integrates data from all these sensors and uses image processing to synthesize a reliable detection result, achieving high reliability while managing complexity through unified processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the danger area and provides real-time feedback by detecting human body parts and automatically responding with warning signals or drive shutdown. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures reliable safety monitoring without requiring complex manual intervention systems.
4Loss of time
If the camera system continuously monitors the danger area, then safety response time improves, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system operates continuously to monitor the danger area, but the evaluation unit processes images in a periodic manner, analyzing frames at appropriate intervals rather than continuously processing every pixel stream. This periodic processing approach maintains safety response capability while reducing overall energy consumption compared to continuous full-processing modes.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for the emergency shutdown of hand-guided tools having a drive, wherein the hand-guided tool is connected mechanically to at least one camera and the camera and/or the tool is/are provided with an evaluation unit having image processing software, in which the following steps are provided: activating the camera, monitoring a predefined danger area of the hand-guided tool by means of the camera, processing and evaluating the captured image data by means of the evaluation unit and the image processing software with regard to the presence of a human body part in the danger area, and generating a warning signal, slowing down the drive of the hand-guided tool and/or stopping the drive of the hand-guided tool if a human body part is present in the danger area.