3D Collaborative Robot Speed Control for Dynamic Safety Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional safety systems for shared workspaces between humans and robots often unduly limit robot movement speeds to ensure safety, leading to inefficiencies due to static and two-dimensional safety zones that fail to adapt to dynamic environments.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that dynamically control robot speed based on real-time three-dimensional positioning and movement relative to humans, allowing higher speeds when moving away from humans and limiting speeds only when approaching to maintain safety.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional safety systems limit robot movement speeds to ensure safety, then human safety is improved, but workspace efficiency and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic speed adjustment by continuously monitoring the robot's position, velocity, and acceleration in real-time, and adapting speed limits based on current motion state and predicted trajectory. This replaces static speed limits with dynamic ones that adjust according to actual operational conditions, allowing higher speeds when safe and lower speeds when risk is detected.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional safety zones to three-dimensional protective envelopes that encompass the robot's entire workspace volume. By modeling the safety zone in 3D space and using volumetric collision detection, the system can more accurately assess actual risk while maintaining productivity in areas where the robot's motion does not pose a threat to the human operator.
2Device complexity
If static and two-dimensional safety zones are used, then system complexity is reduced, but adaptability to dynamic environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The safety zone is made dynamic by continuously updating its boundaries based on real-time robot position, velocity, and acceleration data. The protective envelope moves and deforms with the robot's motion, maintaining accurate risk assessment throughout the workspace rather than relying on fixed geometric boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements closed-loop feedback by continuously monitoring robot state variables (position, velocity, acceleration) and using this information to adjust speed limits and safety zone boundaries in real-time. This feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to changing operational conditions while maintaining safety guarantees.
3Reliability
If uniform speed limits are applied in all directions, then safety is simplified to ensure, but productivity deteriorates due to unnecessary limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different speed limits to different spatial locations and directions within the workspace based on local risk assessment. Speed constraints are imposed only in regions and directions where the robot's motion could potentially harm the human operator, while allowing unrestricted or higher speeds in safe regions, thereby optimizing productivity without compromising safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes speed parameters based on the robot's current state and predicted trajectory. By adjusting velocity limits as a function of position, direction, and motion dynamics, the system achieves safety guarantees with minimal impact on productivity, rather than applying conservative uniform limits throughout the entire workspace.
Data Source
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AI summary
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for determining and adjusting an allowable maximum speed of a machine for movement in a workspace. One or more sensors monitoring the workspace are arranged to obtain a three-dimensional view of the workspace. Raw data from each of the sensors is acquired and analyzed to determine the positioning and spatial relationship between the human and machine as both move throughout the workspace. This captured data is analyzed to determine a safety protocol that includes a maximum allowable speed for each of various axes of movements for the machine, wherein the safety protocol decreases the maximum allowable speed of the machine only along the one or more axes of movement where the movement of the machine approaches the human.