Robot Speed-Zone Control for Narrower Shared Workspaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robot systems occupy large areas due to the need for physical safety fences, and virtual safety fences do not effectively reduce the occupation area, limiting the robot's movable space, especially in environments where robots and humans coexist.
Innovation Solution
A robot system with a movable unit that has different speed regions, where the speed within a second region is limited to be lower than the maximum speed in a first region, allowing for a narrower occupation area, and includes object detectors and a control device to adjust speeds based on detected objects and distances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a virtual safety fence is set up to eliminate physical safety fences, then the occupation area is reduced, but the robot requires a large free running distance from maximum speed to stopping, which prevents effective reduction of occupation area
Solution Approach 1:
The movable space is divided into multiple regions (first region, second region, third region) with different speed limits. The robot operates at different speeds in different regions, allowing the occupation area to be narrowed while maintaining safety by reducing speed in outer regions rather than requiring a large free running distance.
Solution Approach 2:
The speed limit is made dynamic and region-dependent rather than uniform. The robot can operate at maximum speed in the first region (inner region) and gradually reduce speed in outer regions, eliminating the need for a large free running distance while maintaining safety.
2Area of stationary object
If the occupation area is excessively reduced to narrow the robot's footprint, then the robot can coexist with humans in shared environments, but the robot has a narrow movable space which limits the work content that can be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The movable space is segmented into multiple regions with different speed characteristics. The inner first region allows maximum speed for efficient work execution, while outer regions have reduced speed limits for safety. This segmentation enables the robot to perform diverse work content within a narrowed occupation area by appropriately managing speed in different zones.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the movable space are assigned different quality characteristics (speed limits). The inner region maintains high-speed capability for productivity, while outer regions have lower speed limits for safety, allowing the robot to maintain versatility in work content within a compact footprint.
3Productivity
If the robot operates at maximum speed throughout the movable space, then productivity is maximized, but safety cannot be ensured when the robot is close to the boundary of the occupation area
Solution Approach 1:
The movable space is divided into regions with different speed limits. The first region (inner region) allows maximum speed for productivity, while the second region (outer region) has a reduced speed limit for safety. This ensures that when the robot is close to the boundary, its speed is automatically limited, maintaining safety while preserving maximum productivity in the inner working area.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions are assigned different speed qualities based on their distance from the occupation area boundary. The inner region maintains high-speed operation for productivity, while the outer region enforces lower speeds for safety, resolving the contradiction between productivity and safety through spatial differentiation.
Data Source
AI summary
A robot includes a movable unit that is movable in a first region and a second region. In a case where a first portion of the movable unit is positioned within the second region, a speed of the first portion is not 0 and is limited to a speed lower than the maximum speed of the first portion in a case where the first portion is positioned within the first region.