Robot Safety Monitoring With Dynamic Velocity Deceleration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current robot monitoring systems reduce robot velocity too early and frequently cause unnecessary interruptions when a person enters the safety zone, leading to inefficient operation and safety concerns.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that monitor safety conditions to command deceleration only when the robot exceeds specific velocity limits, allowing for late reduction of velocity and minimizing unnecessary interruptions by implementing multiple safety modes and deceleration thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the robot velocity is reduced early when a person enters the warning field, then the safety distance is maintained, but the robot operation is unnecessarily interrupted and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the velocity parameter dynamically based on the detected safety condition. When a person is detected in the warning field, the robot transitions from normal velocity to a reduced velocity, allowing continued operation at a safe speed rather than complete stop. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining safety through parameter adjustment while preserving operational continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot's velocity is made dynamic rather than static, allowing it to adapt to different safety conditions in real-time. The system continuously monitors the warning field and adjusts velocity accordingly, enabling the robot to operate at full speed when safe and reduce speed when a person is detected, thus balancing safety and productivity.
2Reliability
If the robot is stopped completely when a person enters the protection field, then safety is ensured, but unnecessary interruptions occur and time is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational state parameter from binary (stop/continue) to a spectrum of velocity states. By adjusting velocity as an intermediate parameter, the robot can maintain operation during warning field entry and only stop when truly necessary in the protection field, reducing unnecessary time loss while ensuring safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot performs preliminary deceleration when detecting a person in the warning field, preparing for potential stopping before entering the protection field. This preliminary action allows the robot to slow down gradually, reducing the need for abrupt stops and minimizing operation interruption time while maintaining safety.
3Reliability
If the velocity limit is reduced early in the warning field, then safety margin is increased, but the robot operates inefficiently at reduced speed for unnecessary periods
Solution Approach 1:
The velocity limit is made dynamic, changing from a fixed early reduction to a conditional adjustment based on real-time detection. The robot maintains high velocity when the warning field is clear and only reduces velocity when a person is actually detected, optimizing the balance between safety margin and operational efficiency by adapting velocity to actual conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The velocity reduction is applied locally and selectively based on the specific safety condition rather than globally and universally. The system adjusts velocity only in the specific situation when a person is detected in the warning field, rather than reducing velocity preemptively for all scenarios, thus maintaining efficiency while ensuring safety where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for monitoring a robot includes monitoring a safety condition and operating the robot in a limitation operating mode for as long as the monitored safety condition is not fulfilled. A deceleration of the robot is commanded and monitored in the limitation operating mode for as long as the robot exceeds a velocity limit.