Robotic Imaging Arm Velocity Control in Self-Collision Buffer Zones
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic imaging systems face challenges in avoiding self-collisions among their multiple components, such as the camera unit with the robotic arm and storage unit, due to complex movements and limited workspace, which can lead to equipment damage.
Innovation Solution
A robotic imaging system with a collision avoidance mode that utilizes a controller to calculate a trajectory scaling factor based on sensor data, adjusting the speed of the camera and robotic arm to prevent collisions by applying a trajectory scaling factor when approaching predefined buffer zones, incorporating joint, cart, and boundary plane avoidance calculations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the robotic arm moves the camera quickly to improve productivity, then the imaging efficiency increases, but the risk of collision between components increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing predefined buffer zones around keep-out zones before movement occurs. The controller proactively monitors component positions and calculates trajectory scaling factors in advance to prevent collisions, rather than reacting after a collision risk is detected. This allows the robotic arm to move efficiently while maintaining safety margins.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller continuously receives sensor data about component positions and velocities, then dynamically adjusts the trajectory scaling factor based on real-time conditions. This feedback loop enables the system to maintain high speeds when safe and automatically reduce speed when approaching buffer zones, resolving the contradiction between productivity and collision risk.
2Manufacturing precision
If the robotic arm operates in a limited workspace to improve manufacturing precision, then the imaging accuracy improves, but the complexity of avoiding self-collisions increases
Solution Approach 1:
The workspace is segmented into distinct zones: keep-out zones where collisions would occur, buffer zones surrounding them, and safe operating areas. This segmentation simplifies the control logic by creating clear spatial boundaries that the controller can monitor and enforce, reducing the complexity of collision avoidance while maintaining precision imaging capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
Different spatial regions have different quality requirements: keep-out zones have absolute prohibition, buffer zones have conditional restrictions based on velocity and trajectory, and safe areas have no restrictions. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain high imaging precision in safe areas while applying targeted constraints only where necessary, simplifying overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If the system applies velocity-based collision avoidance to prevent equipment damage, then the reliability improves, but the operation time increases due to speed modulation
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies velocity modulation selectively rather than continuously. The trajectory scaling factor is adjusted to reduce speed only when components approach buffer zones, while maintaining full speed in safe operating areas. This partial application of collision avoidance measures protects equipment from damage while minimizing the time penalty associated with speed reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic imaging system includes a camera configured to obtain one or more images of a target site. A robotic arm is operatively connected to the camera, the robotic arm being adapted to selectively move the camera in a movement sequence. The robotic imaging system includes a sensor configured to detect and transmit sensor data related to a respective position and/or a respective speed of the camera. A controller is configured to receive the sensor data, the controller having a processor and tangible, non-transitory memory on which instructions are recorded. The controller is adapted to selectively execute a collision avoidance mode, which includes determining a trajectory scaling factor for the camera. The trajectory scaling factor is applied to modulate the respective speed when the camera and/or the robotic arm are in a predefined buffer zone.