Robot Safety Zoning for Dynamic Human-Robot Workspaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to efficiently and safely integrate robotic and human actors in shared environments by dynamically adjusting safety modes based on the presence and type of actors, leading to potential safety risks and operational inefficiencies.
Innovation Solution
A safety system that uses sensors to determine actor presence and type, classifying areas into low, medium, and high safety zones, and adjusts robotic operation modes accordingly, ensuring safe and efficient interaction between humans and robots.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a robotic device operates in a shared environment with human actors, then operational efficiency is improved, but safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the safety mode of the robotic device based on real-time detection of human actors. The safety mode is not fixed but changes according to the presence, type, and location of detected actors, allowing the robot to operate more efficiently when safe while maintaining high safety standards when humans are present
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the environment using sensors to detect actors and their types, then uses this feedback information to adjust the safety mode. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures the robotic device responds appropriately to changing environmental conditions, balancing operational efficiency with safety
2Reliability
If the safety mode is conservatively set to high, then safety is improved, but operational efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different safety modes to different spatial regions rather than uniformly across the entire environment. By classifying areas into low, medium, and high safety zones based on actor presence and type, the robotic device can operate efficiently in low-risk areas while maintaining high safety standards in areas where humans are present
3Productivity
If the robotic device operates at high speed, then productivity is improved, but safety risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The operational speed of the robotic device is dynamically adjusted based on the detected safety mode. When operating in low safety modes with no human actors present, the robot can travel at higher speeds to improve productivity. When transitioning to high safety modes upon detecting human actors, the speed is automatically reduced to minimize safety risks
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for specifying safety rules for robotic devices. A computing device can determine information about any actors present within a predetermined area of an environment. The computing device can determine a safety classification for the predetermined area based on the information. The safety classification can include: a low safety classification if the information indicates zero actors are present within the predetermined area, a medium safety classification if the information indicates any actors are present within the predetermined area all are of a predetermined first type, and a high safety classification if the information indicates at least one actor present within the predetermined area is of a predetermined second type. After determining the safety classification for the predetermined area, the computing device can provide a safety rule for operating within the predetermined area to a robotic device operating in the environment.