Robot Safety Zone Planning with Optimized Envelope Cuboids

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for defining safety zones for robots are manual, error-prone, and reduce productivity due to unnecessary blockages, as they do not efficiently utilize the operating space and require specialized knowledge, making real-time certification and optimization challenging.

Innovation Solution

An automated method for determining safety zones by dividing trajectories into subtrajectories, calculating fine-grained envelope cuboids, and optimizing these to define the safety zone, which can be simulated and certified, reducing the number of safety zones and increasing productivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If safety zones are manually defined in the planning phase, then safety can be ensured, but the process is error-prone and reduces productivity due to unnecessary blockages

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidproductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical planning processes with automated computer-based simulation and calculation. The system automatically determines safety zones through simulation of robot movements and trajectory calculations, eliminating manual errors while optimizing the balance between safety and productivity by precisely defining only necessary safety boundaries

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent performs safety zone determination in advance during the planning phase through automated simulation. By pre-calculating safety zones based on simulated robot trajectories and movements, the system eliminates the need for conservative manual overestimation, thereby preventing unnecessary blockages and improving productivity while maintaining safety

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If safety zones are defined to ensure robot safety, then collision protection is provided, but robot movement freedom is restricted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecollision protectionVSAvoidmovement freedom

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different safety zone definitions to different regions of the robot's operating space. Instead of uniform safety margins, the system calculates localized safety zones based on specific trajectory segments and robot configurations, allowing maximum movement freedom in safe areas while providing targeted collision protection where needed

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent makes safety zones dynamic by recalculating them based on actual robot trajectories and movements during operation. The safety zones adapt to the robot's current state and planned path, allowing the robot to operate with greater freedom when conditions permit while maintaining collision protection when risks are present

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If manual planning of safety zones is performed, then safety devices can be positioned, but the process requires specialized knowledge and is time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesafety device positioningVSAvoidplanning complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the system to automatically determine and position safety devices without requiring specialized manual planning. The simulation-based approach self-calculates optimal safety zone boundaries and safety device positions based on robot geometry and trajectories, eliminating the need for expert manual intervention while reducing planning time and complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Adaptability or versatility

If safety zones are enlarged to avoid restricting robot movement, then operating space is increased, but unnecessary blockages occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperating spaceVSAvoidproductivity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent dynamically adjusts safety zone parameters based on actual robot trajectories and operational requirements. By calculating precise safety margins for each trajectory segment rather than using fixed enlarged zones, the system maximizes operating space utilization while preventing unnecessary blockages, thereby maintaining both adaptability and productivity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11660751B2Method, robot system and computer readable medium for determining a safety zone and for path planning for robots

Publication Date: 2023.05.30 SIEMENS AG

AI summary

An automated method determines a safety zone for a robot. The robot carries out operations along a specified trajectory. For collision-free operation, a safety zone is determined by: dividing the specified trajectory into a plurality of subtrajectories; determining a plurality of fine-grained envelope cuboids around extreme points of each subtrajectory; and determining a number of optimized envelope cuboids from an enlargement of individual fine-grained envelope cuboids in relation to the volume occupied by the enlarged fine-grained envelope cuboids. The optimized envelope cuboids determined in this way form the safety zone for the trajectory. This automated method can be expanded to multiple trajectories of a robot, multiple robots, and replanning a trajectory for an occupied semaphore zone.