Robot Arm Hazardous Direction Control for Collision Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing robot systems fail to reliably prevent collisions between operators and protrusions, as current techniques either impose a high calculation load for generating avoidance tracks or restrict the size of workpieces that can be gripped.

Innovation Solution

A robot system that includes an arm operation control unit and a storage unit to record hazardous part information, allowing the arm to operate such that the hazardous direction of protrusions is different from its moving direction, thereby preventing collisions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If avoidance track generation is used to prevent operator collision with protrusions, then collision prevention is improved, but calculation load increases and avoidable range is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision preventionVSAvoidcalculation load

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-defines hazardous part information including position and hazardous direction for the grip unit and work target before operation begins. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time calculation of avoidance tracks, reducing computational load while maintaining collision prevention capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention changes the approach from generating dynamic avoidance tracks to controlling the arm's moving direction based on pre-stored hazardous direction parameters. By storing hazardous part information with directional data and controlling the arm to operate in directions different from hazardous directions, the system simplifies the control mechanism while ensuring safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If claw member is accommodated in cover portion to prevent collision, then operator safety is improved, but workpiece size is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperator safetyVSAvoidworkpiece size range

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the hazardous part information (position and hazardous direction) from the physical structure and stores it as data. This allows the grip unit to maintain its full gripping capability without physical restrictions from covers, while safety is ensured through directional control based on the extracted hazardous information

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of restricting the grip unit physically in one dimension (using a cover), the system controls the arm's movement in the directional dimension by comparing moving direction with hazardous direction. This allows the grip unit to access workpieces of various sizes while preventing collision by operating in safe directional zones

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS10875180B2Robot system

Publication Date: 2020.12.29 OMRON CORP

AI summary

Provided is a highly safe robot system. A robot system includes: an arm operation control unit that controls operations of an arm; and a storage unit that records hazardous part information related to at least any one of a grip unit of the arm and a work target gripped with the grip unit, and the arm operation control unit causes the arm to operate such that the hazardous direction of the hazardous part is different from a moving direction of the grip unit on the basis of the hazardous part information.