Proxy Robot Controller Safety Checks for Multi-Robot Manual Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In robot systems with multiple robots, ensuring safety during manual control operations across a single point of control is challenging, as existing systems lack a centralized mechanism to synchronize and validate manual operation requests across multiple robot controllers, potentially leading to unsafe conditions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where a proxy robot controller receives manual operation requests, forwards them to other robot controllers, and investigates responses to ensure consistency, denying requests if any response does not match, thereby maintaining safety by locking the operator's selection if all responses align, and allowing manual operation only if conditions are met.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple manual operating devices are provided for controlling different robots, then each robot can be independently controlled, but the system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single manual operating device is designed to control multiple robot controllers through a proxy architecture. The proxy robot controller receives manual operation requests and distributes them to multiple slave robot controllers, enabling one device to perform the function of multiple devices while reducing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
A proxy robot controller is introduced as an intermediary between the manual operating device and multiple slave robot controllers. This mediator receives requests from the operator, coordinates with slave controllers to ensure safety conditions are met, and executes the manual operation, thereby simplifying the overall system architecture
2Ease of operation
If a single point of manual control is implemented across multiple robot controllers, then ease of use improves, but safety coordination becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy robot controller implements a feedback mechanism where it sends manual operation requests to slave robot controllers and receives responses about safety conditions. The proxy controller only allows the operation to proceed if all slave controllers confirm it is safe, creating a closed-loop safety verification system
Solution Approach 2:
Before executing a manual operation, the proxy robot controller performs preliminary coordination with all slave robot controllers to verify safety conditions are met. This preliminary safety check ensures that no conflicting operations are initiated, maintaining system reliability while enabling single-point control
3Speed
If manual operation requests are allowed without coordination, then response speed improves, but unsafe conditions may occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary safety coordination by having the proxy robot controller communicate with slave controllers before executing manual operations. This advance verification ensures safety conditions are met without significantly delaying the operational response, as the coordination happens in the control plane rather than affecting physical execution time
Data Source
AI summary
A robot system includes a first group of robot controllers, each including a safety change control unit and each being connected to at least one corresponding manipulator, where one robot controller is a proxy robot controller. The safety change control unit of the proxy receives a request to manually operate at least one joint of at least one of the manipulators via a first point of manual control at one of the robot controllers and forwards it to the others, each safety change control unit determines a response to the request and at least one safety change control unit receives the responses from the other safety change control units, investigates if the responses and request match and denies the request in case at least one response does not match the request.