Industrial Robot Teaching Device Segmentation for Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional industrial robots lack effective mechanisms to prevent workers from inadvertently or intentionally executing supervisor-level functions, leading to potential errors and safety hazards, as they often lack robust restrictions on operation capabilities.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a primary teaching device and a subsidiary teaching device, where the primary device determines and restricts the operations allowed by the subsidiary device, ensuring that only authorized personnel, such as supervisors, can execute supervisor-level functions, and workers can only perform restricted operations through the subsidiary device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If workers are permitted to operate the industrial robot independently, then productivity and ease of operation are improved, but the risk of erroneous operations and safety hazards increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the teaching device into two distinct types: a primary teaching device with full functionality for supervisors, and a subsidiary teaching device with restricted functionality for workers. This segmentation allows workers to operate the robot independently for routine tasks while preventing access to supervisor-level functions, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different operational capabilities to different users based on their roles. The subsidiary teaching device has restricted operation capabilities tailored for workers, while the primary teaching device maintains full capabilities for supervisors. This differentiated approach enables safe independent operation for workers while preserving system security.
2Reliability
If the operation capabilities of the teaching device are restricted for workers, then operation safety is improved, but ease of operation and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the teaching device into primary and subsidiary versions with appropriately tailored functionalities, workers gain convenient access to necessary operations through the subsidiary device without encountering supervisor-level complexity or security restrictions, thus maintaining ease of operation while ensuring safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The subsidiary teaching device is designed to enable workers to independently perform routine teaching operations without requiring supervisor intervention. This self-service capability improves ease of operation for workers while the system automatically prevents access to restricted functions, maintaining safety without compromising convenience.
3Device complexity
If a single teaching device is used for both supervisors and workers, then device complexity is reduced, but the risk of unauthorized function execution increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the teaching device functionality into two separate physical devices: a primary teaching device for supervisors with full access, and a subsidiary teaching device for workers with restricted access. This segmentation eliminates the risk of unauthorized function execution while maintaining relatively simple device structures through standardized designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The robot control unit acts as an intermediary that enforces access control between the teaching devices and the robot system. It authenticates users and restricts subsidiary device operations to permitted functions only, preventing unauthorized access while allowing both device types to maintain simple, standardized structures.
4Adaptability or versatility
If supervisor-level functions are accessible to workers, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but the risk of errors and safety hazards increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments operational privileges by creating a subsidiary teaching device that provides workers with adapted functionality suitable for their needs, while restricting access to supervisor-level functions. This segmentation maintains necessary adaptability for routine tasks while eliminating error risks associated with unauthorized sophisticated operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The subsidiary teaching device applies local quality by providing customized operational capabilities matched to worker skill levels and task requirements. Workers gain flexibility for their specific needs without accessing supervisor-level functions that could cause errors, thus achieving appropriate adaptability while minimizing risk.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an industrial robot which comprises a manipulator having a tool at the tip end, a robot control unit for controlling the manipulator, and a primary teaching device and subsidiary teaching device for controlling the manipulator through the robot control unit, wherein operation capable of being conducted by the subsidiary teaching device is restricted as compared with operation capable of being conducted by the primary teaching device. By realizing the industrial robot, it is possible to prevent a production line worker from executing a function of the robot which is originally to be executed by a supervisor.