Robotic Arm Brake Control for Emergency Manual Repositioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotic systems lack adequate safety features to protect humans and deformable objects from harm during close proximity or direct interaction, and existing safety measures can cause unintended harm or immobility during power loss.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a robotic system with removable or disabled brakes, solenoids, and override mechanisms to allow manual control or automatic repositioning, enabling safe shutdown and manual movement away from entities during emergencies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If brakes are enabled to restrict robotic arm movement for safety, then human safety is improved, but the robotic arm becomes immobilized and cannot be manually moved during emergencies
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system is designed to be dynamically controllable, allowing the controller to enable brakes during normal operation for safety, and disable brakes during emergencies to allow manual movement. This dynamic switching between locked and unlocked states resolves the contradiction between safety and manual movability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates emergency detection capability that provides feedback to the controller, triggering automatic brake disengagement when an emergency condition is detected. This feedback mechanism ensures the system transitions from safety mode to emergency response mode, allowing manual intervention when needed.
2Ease of operation
If brakes are disabled to allow manual movement during emergencies, then ease of operation is improved, but the robotic arm cannot maintain position during normal operation
Solution Approach 1:
The brake system dynamically adjusts its state based on operational requirements - locked during normal operation to maintain position stability, and unlocked during emergencies to allow manual movement. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between position stability and manual movability.
3Reliability
If standard safety measures are implemented to protect humans from robotic arms, then human safety is improved, but the system lacks flexibility for emergency manual intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The brake control system dynamically responds to different operational states - maintaining locked brakes during normal operation for safety, and automatically unlocking during emergencies to provide manual intervention capability. This dynamic adaptability resolves the contradiction between safety and emergency response flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system detects emergency conditions and provides feedback to the controller, which then adjusts brake state accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables the system to adapt to emergency situations while maintaining normal safety protocols during standard operation.
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
Ensures safe operation by allowing controlled shutdown and manual movement of robotic arms, preventing harm to humans or objects by avoiding immobilization and enabling safe departure from the interaction area.
Implementation Method 1
solenoids
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus includes a base and a robotic arm operatively coupled to the base via a connector. The robotic arm includes a set of links interconnected by a set of joints. A first link from the set of links is operatively coupled to the connector. Each joint from the set of joints includes a brake from a set of brakes, each brake from the set of brakes configured to be enabled or disabled. The apparatus further comprises an end effector operatively coupled to the robotic arm via a second link from the set of links different from the first link. The apparatus further comprises a controller, communicably coupled to at least one of the base, the robotic arm, or the end effector. The controller is configured to cause the robotic arm to perform a task, and determine, during the task, that movement of the robotic arm is to be restricted.