Optical Safety System for Drilling Machines
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current safety systems for drilling machines, such as protection cages and safety ropes, are cumbersome, unreliable, and limit the versatility of drilling operations, while vision-based systems are prone to false positives due to environmental interference.
Innovation Solution
A safety system using a combination of distance detector assemblies with infrared, radar, and video cameras to create a three-dimensional model of the environment, distinguishing between human presence and machine parts, and adapting to varying conditions like dust and rain, without mechanical barriers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If protection cages are used to ensure operator safety, then safety is improved, but the machine becomes heavy and bulky, limiting versatility and increasing maneuvering difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical protection cage system with an optical sensing system consisting of video cameras and processing units. The mechanical barriers (cages, shutters, doors) are substituted by electronic vision-based detection that monitors the dangerous area and controls machine operation based on detected human presence, eliminating the weight and bulk constraints while maintaining safety functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the safety function from the mechanical cage structure and implements it as a separate vision-based monitoring system. The dangerous area monitoring capability is separated from the physical protective enclosure, allowing the machine to operate without bulky mechanical barriers while still providing operator protection through electronic detection and control
2Reliability
If protection cages are installed around the drilling area, then safety is improved, but the machine requires more time and effort for maneuvering and setup
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical protection cage system with an optical sensing system consisting of video cameras and processing units. The mechanical barriers (cages, shutters, doors) are substituted by electronic vision-based detection that monitors the dangerous area and controls machine operation based on detected human presence, eliminating the weight and bulk constraints while maintaining safety functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The vision-based safety system dynamically adapts to different working conditions and positions without requiring physical reconfiguration. Unlike static mechanical cages that must be assembled and positioned, the electronic monitoring system can be quickly activated and adjusted through software parameters, significantly reducing setup and maneuvering time
3Reliability
If protection cages are used to prevent accidents, then safety is improved, but the system complexity and device bulk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical protection cage system with an optical sensing system consisting of video cameras and processing units. The mechanical barriers (cages, shutters, doors) are substituted by electronic vision-based detection that monitors the dangerous area and controls machine operation based on detected human presence, eliminating the weight and bulk constraints while maintaining safety functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The video camera system serves multiple functions: it monitors the dangerous area for human presence, provides visual records for safety documentation, and can be used for operational monitoring. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated safety components, simplifying the overall system while maintaining comprehensive safety coverage
4Reliability
If limit switches are placed close to the excavation area for safety monitoring, then safety response is improved, but the switches are subject to fouling from drilling debris causing failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical limit switches with video camera-based optical sensing. The mechanical contact switches that are directly exposed to drilling debris and high-pressure water are substituted by non-contact optical detection that can be positioned away from the immediate excavation zone, eliminating susceptibility to fouling while maintaining safety monitoring capability
Solution Approach 2:
The video camera system acts as an intermediary between the dangerous area and the control system. Instead of placing sensors directly in the contaminated zone near the excavation, the optical system captures images from a distance, allowing the actual detection and control electronics to be positioned in clean, protected environments while still monitoring the hazardous area effectively
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances safety and operational flexibility by accurately detecting human presence in hazardous areas, reducing false alarms, and allowing uninterrupted drilling operations with improved reliability and adaptability.
Implementation Method 1
a first distance detector assembly (101) comprising at least one infrared sensor
Implementation Method 2
a second distance detector assembly (102) comprising at least one radar sensor
Implementation Method 3
a second distance detector assembly (102) comprising at least one video camera
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The system (100; 500) comprises sensor means (101, 102, 103, 105a, 105b, 106; 501, 502) suited to detect data representing the presence of a foreign object (505) located in a region (400) to be monitored, situated close to an operating apparatus (307) of an operating machine (300). In addition, the system (100, 500) comprises control means (104; 503) configured to process said data and to provide a control signal when said data correspond to said risk condition concerning the presence of the object (505) in the region (400) to be monitored. The sensor means comprise a distance detector assembly (101, 102; 501, 502) configured to detect data representing the distance of the object (505) and of setting elements placed in the region (400) to be monitored relative to the distance detector (101, 102; 501, 502). The control means (104; 503) are configured to calculate an estimation of the volume occupied by the object (505) and by the setting elements as a function of said data, to compare said estimation and a three-dimensional model concerning the volume occupied by the setting elements, and to assess whether between said estimation and the three-dimensional model there is a variation corresponding to the risk condition according to predetermined criteria. A method is also provided for detecting said risk condition in the region (400) to be monitored.