Mobile Robot Safety Configuration via Location Data Carriers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing robotic systems face challenges in efficiently operating mobile robots across different locations while ensuring safety configurations are properly implemented, leading to increased costs and labor requirements due to the need for skilled staff to verify and set up safety configurations at each new location.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system that uses a data carrier, such as a tag with a QR code or RFID, to store safety configurations associated with specific locations. The robot is equipped with a reader that can identify and retrieve the relevant safety configuration when moved to a new location, allowing for automated implementation of safety settings.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a robot is moved to a new location, then the robot can perform tasks at different locations, but a new safety configuration must be implemented which requires expert labor and is expensive
Solution Approach 1:
Safety configurations are pre-defined and stored in the system before the robot arrives at a location. When the robot moves to a new location, the system automatically retrieves and implements the appropriate pre-prepared safety configuration, eliminating the need for expert staff to manually configure safety settings at each location.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot system automatically handles safety configuration implementation without requiring external expert intervention. The system self-manages the process of selecting, retrieving, and applying the correct safety configuration based on location identification, making the robot self-sufficient in adapting to new locations.
2Reliability
If skilled staff are deployed to verify and implement safety configurations at each new location, then safety compliance is ensured, but productivity is reduced due to time-consuming manual configuration
Solution Approach 1:
The manual process of safety configuration implementation by skilled staff is replaced with an automated electronic system. The system uses location identification, data carrier retrieval, and automatic configuration application to substitute the mechanical/manual process, maintaining safety compliance while eliminating time losses.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates automatic verification mechanisms that confirm when a safety configuration has been successfully implemented at a location. This feedback loop ensures compliance without requiring manual verification by skilled staff, as the system automatically validates that the correct safety configuration is active.
3Reliability
If safety configurations are manually implemented at each location, then safety standards are met, but the cost and time for reconfiguring increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of manually creating safety configurations at each location, the system uses pre-copied safety configuration data stored on data carriers at each location. The robot system automatically retrieves and applies these copied configurations, eliminating the time-consuming manual reconfiguration process while ensuring safety standards are met.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic system and method includes at least one robot actively or passively mobile between at least first and second locations, and a first safety configuration being defined at least for said first location. A first data carrier associated to the first safety configuration is located in said first location, and the robot comprises a reader adapted to read the first data carrier when the robot is in said first location.