Robot Actuator Power Control for Safe Human Collaboration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional safety measures for robots operating in proximity to humans are costly and complex, limiting the flexibility of robot operation and requiring specialized safety mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Combining off-the-shelf safety-rated components with inherent robot design limits using a commercially available safety-rated controller and power circuitry to restrict power levels, thereby controlling speed and force of robotic actuators, ensuring safe operation without the need for complex safety mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional safety measures (caging, safeguarding) are used to protect humans from robots, then human safety is improved, but robot operational flexibility and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical safety systems (cages, physical barriers) with an electronic control system that monitors robot operation parameters and dynamically adjusts power delivery to actuators. The controller system with sensors and feedback loops substitutes the need for physical containment structures, allowing robots to operate freely in human workspaces while maintaining safety through electronic control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes operational parameters (power levels, speed, force) based on real-time monitoring of robot operation and human proximity. The controller adjusts voltage, current, or power delivery to actuators according to safety conditions, enabling the robot to operate at full capability when safe and reduce performance when humans are present, thereby resolving the contradiction between safety and productivity.
2Reliability
If safety-rated monitoring systems with extra sensors and circuitry are implemented, then robot safety is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the robot's existing control system perform multiple functions: it controls normal robot operation and simultaneously performs safety monitoring and power limitation. The existing controller and actuators are used for both task execution and safety enforcement, eliminating the need for separate dedicated safety systems with additional sensors and circuitry.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the safety control functions with the existing robot control system. The controller that normally operates the robot is also responsible for monitoring safety parameters and limiting power output when needed. This consolidation integrates safety mechanisms into the inherent robot design rather than adding separate safety subsystems.
3Reliability
If the robot's inherent capabilities are limited by safety requirements, then human safety is improved, but robot performance and adaptability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic safety control where the robot's performance limits are not fixed but change in real-time based on operational conditions. The controller continuously monitors human proximity, task requirements, and environmental factors, adjusting power delivery and operational parameters dynamically. This allows the robot to adapt its performance capability according to safety conditions rather than being constrained by static safety limits.
Data Source
AI summary
In various embodiments, safe robot operation is achieved by combining commercial, off-the-shelf, safety-rated components with the inherent safety-design mechanism of the robot to provide various allowable power levels to robotic actuators and thereby limit the forces and/or speeds generated by robotic appendages driven by the actuators.