Operation Control Device for Multi-Region Robot Safety and Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing control devices for movable apparatuses, like industrial robots, are inefficient when operating across multiple regions as they prioritize safety over efficiency, failing to ensure operator safety when the robot operates in multiple designated areas.
Innovation Solution
An operation control device that activates multiple operation regions and restricts the robot's operation within these regions by predicting its position, maintaining power supply when within any activated region and cutting it off when outside all regions, while also incorporating warning and prohibited zones for enhanced safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot is limited to operate in a single operation region, then operator safety is ensured, but operation efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The operation space is segmented into multiple independent operation regions (first operation region, second operation region, etc.), each with its own safety boundaries. The control device manages multiple regions simultaneously, allowing the robot to operate efficiently across segmented zones while maintaining safety constraints for each region
Solution Approach 2:
The control device dynamically adjusts the active operation region based on real-time conditions. It activates or deactivates specific operation regions according to the robot's current position and operational needs, enabling flexible adaptation between safety and efficiency requirements without fixed limitations
2Productivity
If the robot operates over a plurality of operation regions, then operation efficiency improves, but operator safety deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control device continuously monitors the robot's position and actively predicts future positions based on movement trends. This feedback mechanism allows real-time determination of whether the robot will enter prohibited areas, enabling dynamic safety enforcement that doesn't unnecessarily restrict efficient multi-region operations
Solution Approach 2:
The control device performs preliminary position prediction before the robot actually reaches boundary areas. By predicting future positions and proactively determining safety compliance, the system prevents safety violations before they occur, allowing smoother operations across multiple regions without reactive stoppages
3Reliability
If power supply is cut off when robot moves out of operation region, then safety is ensured, but operational continuity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The control device predicts the robot's future position before it actually exits the operation region. Power supply is cut off only when prediction indicates the robot will be outside the region, providing advance warning and allowing controlled shutdown rather than abrupt interruption during boundary transitions
Solution Approach 2:
The control device changes the power supply state based on predicted position parameters. Instead of using fixed boundary thresholds, it dynamically adjusts power supply decisions according to predicted trajectory and future position, enabling more nuanced control that maintains both safety and operational smoothness
Data Source
AI summary
A drive control device activates at least one of a plurality of operation regions and restricts operations by a robot such that the robot operates within the activated operation region. With a plurality of operation regions such as an operation region 1 and an operation region 2 being activated, when the drive control device predicts that the robot will be included in a range of any of the operation region 1 and the operation region 2, the drive control device does not cut off supply of electric power to a servo amplifier, whereas when the drive control device predicts that the robot will be included in a range of neither of the operation region 1 and the operation region 2, the drive control device cuts off supply of electric power to the servo amplifier.