Sensor-Guided Robotic Manipulator Motion Limits Near Hazardous Surfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current remote manipulators are limited in capability, versatility, and reliability for performing operations in hazardous and difficult-to-access spaces, requiring a more advanced and adaptable solution to reduce human exposure and enhance operational safety.
Innovation Solution
A remotely operable robotic manipulator arm (RMA) with extendable components, versatile tool attachments, and advanced deployment mechanisms, designed to navigate confined spaces and withstand harsh conditions, allowing for inspection, maintenance, and cleaning with minimal human interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If remote robotic manipulators are used to access hazardous spaces, then human safety is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic manipulator system integrates multiple functions including inspection, cleaning, maintenance, and repair capabilities into a single platform. The system can accommodate various end effectors and tools, allowing it to perform diverse operations in hazardous environments without requiring multiple specialized devices, thus improving human safety while managing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The manipulator system is divided into modular components including the robotic arm, end effectors, tools, and control systems. This segmentation allows for flexible configuration and adaptation to different hazardous environment tasks, enabling the system to provide comprehensive safety coverage while maintaining manageable complexity through modular design.
2Reliability
If manipulators are designed for specific needs, then reliability for that task is improved, but adaptability to other tasks deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs a universal manipulator platform that can be configured with different end effectors and tools for various tasks such as inspection, cleaning, maintenance, and repair. This multi-functionality ensures high reliability across multiple task types while maintaining adaptability to different operational requirements in hazardous environments.
Solution Approach 2:
The manipulator system features dynamic reconfigurability where end effectors and tools can be changed based on task requirements. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain optimal performance reliability for each specific task while preserving overall versatility through easy reconfiguration capabilities.
3Productivity
If manipulators are made more capable and versatile, then operational efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating multiple operational capabilities including inspection, cleaning, maintenance, and repair functions into a single manipulator system, the platform achieves high operational efficiency across various tasks. The universal design allows the system to handle diverse operations without requiring multiple separate devices, thereby improving productivity while managing complexity through consolidation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges multiple functional capabilities and tools into a single integrated manipulator platform. This consolidation of inspection, cleaning, maintenance, and repair functions into one system improves operational efficiency by eliminating the need for multiple separate devices, while the integrated architecture helps manage overall system complexity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If manipulators are designed to navigate confined spaces, then adaptability to difficult-to-access areas is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The manipulator system employs modular segmentation that enables compact configuration for navigating confined spaces. The modular components can be arranged and deployed to access difficult-to-reach areas, improving adaptability to confined spaces while the modular nature helps manage deployment complexity through standardized interfaces and configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates dynamic deployment mechanisms that allow the manipulator to adapt its configuration for accessing confined and difficult-to-reach spaces. The dynamic reconfigurability enables the system to navigate various spatial constraints while maintaining manageable deployment complexity through programmable motion control and adaptive positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A robotic arm control system including a robotic arm configured to deploy one or more tools in an operating space, one or more sensors, and a control system operably configured to: scan the operating space with the one or more sensors, identify a surface of the operating space based at least in part upon information sensed by the one or more sensors, establish a virtual barrier offset from the surface, and limit movement of the robotic arm based at least in part upon the virtual barrier.