Worker Work Region Estimation for Safe Robot Line Operation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In factory production lines, it is challenging to accurately estimate the work region of a worker to prevent interference between industrial machinery and worker operations, which hinders productivity and safety.
Innovation Solution
A control system with detection devices worn by workers to gather acceleration and angular velocity data, used to estimate the work region by calculating orientation, movable range, and operation information, and control robots to operate outside the worker's region, ensuring safety and expanding the machinery's work area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the work region of the worker is not estimated, then the industrial machinery can operate freely, but the worker may be hindered or collide with the machinery
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary estimation of the worker's work region before the industrial machinery operates. By calculating the worker's orientation, movable range, and operation information in advance, the system determines the work region proactively, allowing the machinery to plan its operations to avoid interference while maintaining productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary between the worker and the industrial machinery. It receives detection information from sensors, estimates the work region, and uses this information to control the machinery's operations, thereby mediating the interaction to ensure both safety and productivity.
2Reliability
If the work region is estimated to ensure safety, then the worker is protected from collision, but the industrial machinery's operating space is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The work region estimation is dynamic rather than static. The system continuously updates the worker's orientation, movable range, and operation information, allowing the estimated work region to change in real-time. This enables the industrial machinery to operate in areas that become safe as the worker moves or changes posture, maximizing the usable operating space while maintaining safety.
3Measurement precision
If detection devices are worn by workers to gather data, then accurate work region estimation is achieved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The detection devices worn by workers serve multiple functions: detecting orientation, measuring movable range, and gathering operation information. By using a single multi-functional detection system rather than separate devices for each measurement, the system achieves high measurement precision while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
This work region estimation device, which estimates a region in which a worker performs work, is provided with: a first operation acquisition unit that acquires worker operation information; an orientation acquisition unit that acquires worker orientation information; and a work region calculation unit that, on the basis of the operation information, the orientation information, and a worker body model, calculates a region in which a worker operation is forecast.