Retractable Gripper Shell for Safe Sharp Object Handling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for human-robot collaboration in industrial settings do not adequately ensure safety from sharp-edged or pointed objects being handled by robots, as they lack effective protection mechanisms for both the objects and human interaction.
Innovation Solution
A device with a gripper module and outer shell that can retract to cover the object, equipped with sensors and a drive system, providing a safety gripper system for secure handling and transportation of sharp-edged objects, and incorporating flexible outer shells with strain sensors or capacitive sensors for human detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the robot arm is used to transport sharp-edged objects, then productivity is improved, but safety of human workers deteriorates due to potential injuries from exposed sharp objects
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper module is nested within the outer shell, which acts as a protective housing. When the gripper module is retracted into the outer shell, the sharp-edged objects are contained within this nested structure, preventing exposure to human workers while maintaining automated handling capability
Solution Approach 2:
The outer shell serves as an intermediary protective barrier between the sharp-edged objects and human workers. This intermediate structure allows the robot to handle sharp objects safely by mediating the interaction and preventing direct exposure of harmful edges to humans
2Ease of operation
If the gripper module is extended to grip objects, then ease of operation is improved, but safety deteriorates as sharp edges become exposed to human workers
Solution Approach 1:
The gripper module is designed to be dynamically extendable and retractable. It can extend into the objects when gripping is needed and retract into the outer shell when safety is prioritized. This dynamic configuration allows the system to switch between ease of operation and safety based on operational requirements
3Productivity
If the robot arm moves to pick up objects quickly, then productivity is improved, but safety response time deteriorates as there is no quick protection mechanism
Solution Approach 1:
The outer shell is pre-positioned around the gripper module before objects are gripped. This preliminary configuration ensures that protection is already in place and ready to contain sharp edges immediately when objects are picked up, eliminating the need for additional safety response time
Solution Approach 2:
The outer shell acts as a pre-deployed intermediary protective structure that is already in position before object handling begins. This allows quick object pickup while maintaining safety, as the protective barrier is already established and does not require additional response time to activate
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
The device ensures safe human-robot interaction by protecting people from potential injuries and enabling the safe transportation of sharp-edged objects, while allowing quick object pickup without moving the entire robot arm, and facilitating connection to various industrial robots for assembly tasks.
Implementation Method 1
the outer shell is flexible and equipped with strain sensors, in particular strain gauges. This has the advantage that human touches, which lead to a deformation of the flexible outer shell, can be detected by means of the strain sensors.
Implementation Method 2
the outer shell is equipped with a capacitive sensor system, in particular a tactile skin, on its surface
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to an adapter 1 which allows an object 4 to be pulled into a chamber after being gripped by a gripper module 2 with a drive 9, said chamber being formed by an outer shell 5. The outer shell 5 is designed to at least partly cover the object 4 and is sufficiently large so as to shield the object 4. The adapter 1 can be understood as a gripper base system to which the gripper module 2 is adapted. The drive 9 pulls the entire gripper module 2 including the object 4 into the gripper base system. The adapter 1 provides a safety gripper system with an object housing for a safe human/robot interaction. The outer shell 5 protects persons from sharp-edged objects which are gripped by the gripper module 2 and which could otherwise lead to an injury of the persons located in the working area. By virtue of the adapter 1, sharp-edged or pointed objects can therefore also be transported by the robot safely. The device can be used for example for attaching gripper modules to industrial robots, such as delta robots or articulated arm robots for example.