Multi-Robot Teaching Terminal Enable Logic With Safety Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional teaching systems for multiple robots are complex in processing, as enabling devices are connected to each teaching terminal, making it difficult to determine if robots are in an enabled state for operation.
Innovation Solution
A teaching system with a first controlling device that determines the enabled state of multiple robots and transmits an enable signal to a second controlling device, allowing the system to teach operation to multiple robots through simple processing, using safety signals to ensure safe operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If enabling devices are connected to each teaching terminal for multiple robots, then each robot can be controlled independently, but the processing complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the enabling device functionality into a single teaching terminal that can control multiple robots. Instead of having separate enabling devices at each teaching terminal, one enabling device manages multiple robots by receiving teaching operations and determining whether to permit operation based on safety conditions. This consolidation reduces the number of enabling devices and simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining the ability to control multiple robots independently through a unified control logic.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple enabling devices are used for multiple robots, then each robot can be independently enabled, but determining the enabled state becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The teaching terminal incorporates a determination unit that actively monitors and determines whether robots are in an enabled state based on safety conditions. This feedback mechanism continuously assesses the operational status by checking safety signals and communicates the enabled/disabled state back to the system. This centralized determination approach simplifies the detection of enabled states compared to managing multiple independent enabling devices, as the system now has a unified source of truth regarding robot operational status.
3Device complexity
If a centralized enabling device controls multiple robots, then processing is simplified, but safety monitoring becomes more challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The teaching terminal is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as the interface for teaching operations and as the safety monitoring unit. The same teaching terminal that simplifies processing by consolidating enabling device functionality also incorporates safety signal reception and evaluation capabilities. This universal design allows the system to maintain simplified processing while ensuring safety monitoring is integrated into the core control logic, eliminating the need for separate safety monitoring devices and thereby maintaining reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A teaching system configured to teach operation to a plurality of robots includes a first controlling device which determines whether a first robot and a second robot are in an enabled state where the first and second robots are permitted to operate, and when the first controlling device determines as in the enabled state, the first controlling device transmits an enable signal indicative of permitting the second robot to operate and enables the first robot to be taught the operation when a teaching terminal specifies the first robot. When a second controlling device receives the enable signal from the first controlling device and the teaching terminal specifies the second robot, the second controlling device enables the second robot to be taught the operation.