Manipulator Controller Merging Safety and Non-Safe Logic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing manipulator control systems lack efficient and reliable monitoring mechanisms to ensure safety in unstructured environments, where human and technical failures can lead to accidents, and current safety controllers operate independently with limited interaction with non-safe controllers.
Innovation Solution
A method that automatically generates monitoring for a manipulator arrangement by specifying a virtual target process, allowing for real-time monitoring of actual processes, including speed and force limits, using a controller that can interact with both safe and non-safe systems, enabling flexible and situation-specific safety configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a safety controller operates independently with limited interaction with non-safe controllers, then safety monitoring reliability is improved, but system complexity and ease of operation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the safety controller and non-safe controller into a single integrated control device. The controller executes both safe processes (safety monitoring) and non-safe processes (manipulator control) through unified control logic, eliminating the need for separate controllers and their complex communication interfaces. This integration maintains safety reliability while reducing system complexity and improving ease of operation.
2Measurement precision
If monitoring functions are specified separately by a safety controller, then safety monitoring precision is improved, but automation extent and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The controller automatically generates monitoring specifications based on the process description provided by the user. Instead of requiring manual configuration of monitoring parameters, the system self-generates appropriate monitoring functions by analyzing the process steps, identified objects, and relevant safety parameters. This automation maintains high monitoring precision while significantly reducing the extent of manual configuration effort.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual configuration of monitoring parameters is required, then monitoring adaptability is improved, but ease of operation and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the process description to automatically determine appropriate monitoring parameters before execution. By pre-processing the process steps, identifying objects and their properties, and determining relevant safety parameters in advance, the system adapts monitoring configurations automatically without requiring manual adjustment. This maintains monitoring adaptability while dramatically improving ease of operation.
4Reliability
If safety controllers use dedicated communication channels, then safety monitoring reliability is improved, but device complexity and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges safety monitoring and non-safe control functions into a single controller that processes all commands and monitoring requirements through unified control logic. This eliminates the need for dedicated communication channels between separate safety and non-safe controllers, reducing system complexity and improving productivity while maintaining safety reliability through integrated real-time monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
An inventive method for controlling a manipulator arrangement with at least one manipulator, in particular a robot, comprises the following steps: (S10) specifying a virtual target process; (S30) executing a real actual process by the manipulator arrangement based on the virtual target process; (S40) monitoring the real actual process; (S20) at least one monitoring (S; 5,6,11,12) of the real actual process (P) is specified by the control based on the virtual target process (P_v).