Robot Virtual Bumper Using Distance Sensors for Collision Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robots performing 'pick and place' operations often collide with unobserved objects due to incomplete environmental information, leading to costly damage and downtime, as they lack effective collision avoidance mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a virtual bumper system with a plurality of distance sensors on robotic components, such as grippers, to detect objects in their motion path and control the robot's operations to avoid collisions by adjusting speed or trajectory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If robots operate without complete environmental information, then operational speed and efficiency are improved, but collision risk and component damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual bumper system performs preliminary detection of objects in the robot's motion path before actual collision can occur. Distance sensors continuously monitor the environment ahead of the robot component, allowing the system to take preventive action by adjusting the robot's trajectory or speed in advance, thus maintaining both high operational speed and collision avoidance reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The virtual bumper acts as an intermediary protective layer between the robot component and actual objects in the environment. Instead of relying solely on physical bumpers or complete environmental mapping, the system introduces a virtual detection zone that mediates between the robot's motion and potential obstacles, enabling safe operation at high speeds through real-time distance monitoring
2Reliability
If physical bumpers are used to protect robot components, then collision damage is reduced, but robot speed and operational efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical physical bumpers with an optical/electronic detection system consisting of distance sensors and virtual boundary calculations. This substitution eliminates the need for bulky physical protective structures that would impede robot motion, while still providing effective collision avoidance through electronic detection and control system intervention
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using physical material to create a protective bumper, the system creates a virtual copy or representation of the robot component's boundary in the detection system. This virtual bumper exists as digital information rather than physical matter, allowing it to provide protection without adding physical obstruction to the robot's motion path
3Measurement precision
If complete environmental mapping is implemented, then collision detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity and information processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The virtual bumper system implements local quality by focusing detection resources on the immediate vicinity of the robot component rather than attempting to map the entire environment. Distance sensors monitor only the critical zone directly ahead of and around the robot component, providing high detection accuracy for collision avoidance without the complexity of complete environmental mapping
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The virtual bumper system effectively prevents collisions by using distance sensors to detect objects and adjust the robot's movements, reducing damage and downtime by enabling real-time collision avoidance.
Implementation Method 1
the plurality of distance sensors are time-of-flight (TOF) sensors
Data Source
AI summary
A virtual bumper configured to protect a component of a robotic device from damage is provided. The virtual bumper comprises a plurality of distance sensors arranged on the robotic device and at least one computing device configured to receive distance measurement signals from the plurality of distance sensors, detect, based on the received distance measurement signals, at least one object in a motion path of the component, and control the robot to change one or more operations of the robot to avoid a collision between the component and the at least one object.