Mixed Reality Tool Guidance for Screw Fastening Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for technology that can guide workers in performing tasks involving screws, such as tightening or loosening, more appropriately to avoid damage to articles or injury to workers.
Innovation Solution
A processing system that includes a display device to show a virtual object around the region where a tool is positioned during the task, and a processing device to estimate the tool's position and issue alerts if it comes into contact with the virtual object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a worker performs screw tightening or loosening tasks manually without guidance, then the operation is simple and quick, but the risk of damage to articles or injury to workers increases due to inappropriate tool usage
Solution Approach 1:
A mixed reality device serves as an intermediary between the worker and the task environment. The device displays virtual objects that represent safe zones and provides alerts when the tool approaches dangerous areas, mediating the interaction between the worker's actions and the potential hazards without requiring complex physical guardrails or supervision systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical safety mechanisms (such as mechanical guards, interlocks, or human supervisors) with a mixed reality-based warning system. The system uses optical displays and spatial computing to provide safety guidance, substituting mechanical or human-based safety systems with an information-based approach that reduces physical complexity
2Manufacturing precision
If virtual objects are displayed to guide tool positioning, then the precision of task execution is improved, but the complexity of the display system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual display system is segmented into distinct functional elements: virtual objects representing safe zones, tool position detection components, and alert generation mechanisms. This segmentation allows the system to provide precise guidance through simplified visual cues rather than requiring a monolithic complex system
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates virtual copies of physical spaces and objects (virtual first objects representing safe zones, virtual second objects representing fastening locations). These virtual copies provide precise guidance information without requiring complex physical modifications to the actual workspace or task equipment
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a processing system is used for a task of turning a screw at a fastening location with a tool. The processing system comprises a display device and a processing device. The display device is configured to display a virtual first object around a region where the tool can be positioned during the task. The processing device is configured to estimate a position of the tool. The processing device is configured to issue an alert in a case where the tool is determined to be in contact with the first object based on the estimated position.