Robot Sensor Feedback for Simulated Collision Troubleshooting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for operating robots, such as articulated-arm robots, are cumbersome and time-consuming when real-world collisions or errors occur during simulated movements, making it difficult to identify and correct operational issues.

Innovation Solution

A method involving an environmental sensor that moves with the robot to detect its surroundings, creating a model based on the real environment, simulating robot movements, and comparing simulated sensor measurements with real measurements to visualize differences using a display device, allowing for immediate identification of discrepancies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the robot movements are simulated in advance in a model to test for collisions, then the safety and reliability of robot operations is improved, but the time required to identify and correct errors when collisions occur increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesafety of robot operationsVSAvoidtime to identify and correct errors
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by comparing real sensor measurements with simulated measurements in real-time. When discrepancies are detected between actual environmental sensor data and predicted data from the simulation model, the system immediately provides feedback to operators through visual displays, enabling rapid identification and correction of errors while maintaining operational safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-simulating robot movements and environmental interactions before actual operations. The simulation model predicts expected sensor measurements in advance, creating a reference framework that enables quick error detection when real-world measurements deviate from predictions, thus reducing troubleshooting time while maintaining safety.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Measurement precision

If detailed environmental modeling is performed to accurately simulate robot movements, then the precision of collision detection is improved, but the complexity of the system increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaccuracy of collision detectionVSAvoidcomplexity of environmental modeling
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses copying by creating a simplified digital replica (simulation model) of the physical environment and robot movements. This virtual copy captures essential geometric and kinematic properties needed for collision detection without requiring complete physical duplication, thus achieving accurate collision prediction while managing system complexity through selective abstraction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Speed

If real-time comparison between simulated and actual sensor measurements is performed, then the speed of error detection is improved, but the computational resources required increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespeed of error detectionVSAvoidcomputational resources
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and compares only the critical measurement parameters that are most relevant for collision detection, rather than processing complete sensor datasets. By identifying and extracting key features such as distance measurements to obstacles and critical pose parameters, the system achieves real-time error detection speed while reducing computational resource requirements through selective data processing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4603235A1Method for operating a robot
Publication Date: 2025.08.20 SICK AG
  • EP4603235A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4603235A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4603235A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method for operating a robot, wherein the robot detects the environment by means of an environmental sensor that moves with the robot, wherein an environmental model is created which is based on the real environment of the robot, wherein real movements of the robot are simulated in the environmental model, wherein based on the real movement of the robot, simulated measured values of the environmental sensor are generated in the environmental model, wherein real measured values of the environmental sensor are compared with the simulated measured values, wherein differences detected during the comparison are visualized for a user by means of a display device by displaying the location of the difference.