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For further increased flexibility of high variant manufacturing, deployment of collaborative robots can be an economical proposition. Of particular present relevance is collaborative small parts assembly in a mixed environment with human workers and with robots operating according to the protective paradigm of power and force limiting. Safety legis...
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Citations
... Vision-based security measures have the advantages of strong adaptability and high intelligence, and have become a hotspot in the field of robot security in recent years [2].After international cooperative robot-related specifications are released, much research is concentrated in the field of collaborative robot safety protection. The standard of human-robot collaboration is defined in ISO/TS 15066 [3]. Collaborative operations may include one or more of the following methods: safety-rated monitored stop, hand guiding, speed and separation monitoring, and power and force limiting. ...
Human-robot collaboration (HRC) based on speed and separation monitoring should consider the difference of risk factors in the scene; otherwise, the sudden invasion of non-operators or routine operation of the operator may stop the robot system. In this paper, we propose a sensing network based on the fusion of multi-information to obtain scene semantic information and employ it to realize risk assessment. However, due to the influence of light on the image information sensed by RGB cameras, it is not easy to obtain accurate scene semantic information. We apply a depth camera and a thermal imager to obtain depth and infrared information to enhance the RGB images. We build a risk information database and use it to quantify the obtained scene semantic information into risk factors. The dynamic change of risk factors judges whether the distance between humans and robots is safe. The experimental results verify that the algorithm of intelligent human-robot monitoring can realize the analysis of dangerous situations and control the robot system, thereby reducing the number of false shutdowns and improving safety.
... Safety is typically handled at the robot itself using dedicated safety sensors and computing hardware. However, to enable the increasing demand for fl exibility, new dynamic safety concepts are required [7], which need additional compute. Hence, safety-related workloads may also need to be off loaded to the Edge server with latency awareness and time supervision. ...
... In future systems, the safety layer will be required to perform more complex calculations to achieve the goals defi ned; for example, in the ISO TS15066 standard [7], which pertains to more elegant handling of dangerous situations than safety stops. To achieve this, comprehensive 3D environment models with object positions, heading, speed and behavior are required which add significant compute demand. ...
Mobile multi-robot systems are an integral component of highly automated factories of the future. Since mobile robots have limited on-board computing capability and battery capacity, there is increasing interest in exploring approaches that enable robots to effectively leverage wireless communications and Edge Computing solutions for perception, navigation, planning, coordination, and control. It is, however, a major challenge achieving precision, high-speed, co-ordinated actions between robots due to tight end-to-end latency, and safety requirements, especially while enabling time-sensitive data exchange over wireless networks and execution of computing workloads distributed across robots and the Edge system. The traditional approach of designing compute, communications, and control components in an Edge system as independent components, limits the capacity and scalability of computing and wireless resources and is therefore unsuitable to meet performance guarantees for energy and resource-efficient time-sensitive robotic applications. In this article, we discuss technical challenges in the context of two Edge Robotics use cases such as conveyer object pick-up and robot navigation, which are representative of time-critical control in IoT applications. We propose research directions grounded in an end-to-end system co-design paradigm and describe technology components such as virtualized robot functions, compute-communications-control co-design, Edge system co-simulation, safety and security aspects that are core to Edge Robotics. We also briefly outline future research directions that are necessary to pave the path toward factory-scale Edge Robotics systems.
... Here, Fmax is the maximum contact force for a specific human body region, Pmax is the maximum contact pressure for a specific body area, k is the effective spring constant for a specific body region, µ is the reduced mass of the two-body system that considers mH as the effective mass of the human body region, and mR as the effective mass of the robot as a function of robot posture and motion. An example of the implementation of the PFL in collaborative applications can be found in [61]. ...
The reduction of physical barriers between humans and robots has been accelerated in recent years by advancements in
industrial robotics and sensor technologies. To ensure safety in human-robot interaction (HRI), various collaborative
operations can be implemented according to recent standards and deliverables. This paper presents a review of recent
research and progress on HRI, related to the available collaborative operations with emphasis on human safety. The
current state of research and technology regarding speed and separation monitoring, power and force limiting as well as
the combination of both collaborative operations is analysed in detail.
... Transient contact corresponds to situations where the operator immediately loses direct contact with the robot (for example, in instances wherein a certain part of the robot hits the body of the operator). Quasi-static contact is when the operator is clamped between the robot and a fixed object (for example, when the operator's hand placed on a tabletop is pressed against a robot gripper) [12]. In either case, the safety of the user must be ensured. ...
With the development of robot technology, robot utilization is expanding in industrial fields and everyday life. To employ robots in various fields wherein humans and robots share the same space, human safety must be guaranteed in the event of a human–robot collision. Therefore, criteria and limitations of safety need to be defined and well clarified. In this study, we induced mechanical pain in humans through quasi-static contact by an algometric device (at 29 parts of the human body). A manual apparatus was developed to induce and monitor a force and pressure. Forty healthy men participated voluntarily in the study. Physical quantities were classified based on pain onset and maximum bearable pain. The overall results derived from the trials pertained to the subjective concept of pain, which led to considerable inter-individual variation in the onset and threshold of pain. Based on the results, a quasi-static contact pain evaluation method was established, and biomechanical safety limitations on forces and pressures were formulated. The pain threshold attributed to quasi-static contact can serve as a safety standard for the robots employed.
... ISO 10218 Robots and robotic devices-Safety requirements for industrial robots are insufficient to ensure both maximum safety and an effective human-robot collaboration [8]. Hence, technical specifications ISO/TS 15066:2016 are introduced to provide additional guidelines for the safe design of collaborative application [9]. ...
This paper describes a framework for using 3D simulation as a safety assessment tool based on ISO/TS 15066:2016 guidelines for a cobot work cell. A human-robot collaboration-based work cell has been developed. The digital counterpart of this work cell is developed beforehand to perform several safety assessments based on ISO/TS 15066:2016. It is observed that the 3D simulation model can be used as a safety assessment tool to ensure the safety of a cobot work cell even before its creation. The study also signifies the simulation software for safety and human factors in the design of a cobot cell.
... In the same manner, the study and the critical analysis of the regulatory framework leads to the identification of the main requirements for ensuring safety and risk reduction within an HRC workplace. However, a detailed discussion on standards is redundant considering that other works [46][47][48] already did it. It is sufficient to recall that the standards regarding robotics are organized into three types as follows: ...
The innovation-driven Industry 5.0 leads us to consider humanity in a prominent position as the center of the manufacturing field even more than Industry 4.0. This pushes us towards the hybridization of manufacturing plants promoting a full collaboration between humans and robots. However, there are currently very few workplaces where effective Human–Robot Collaboration takes place. Layout designing plays a key role in assuring safe and efficient Human–Robot Collaboration. The layout design, especially in the context of collaborative robotics, is a complex problem to face, since it is related to safety, ergonomics, and productivity aspects. In the current work, a Knowledge-Based Approach (KBA) is adopted to face the complexity of the layout design problem. The framework resulting from the KBA allows for developing a modeling paradigm that enables us to define a streamlined approach for the layout design. The proposed approach allows for placing resource within the workplace according to a defined optimization criterion, and also ensures compliance with various standards. This approach is applied to an industrial case study in order to prove its feasibility. A what-if analysis is performed by applying the proposed approach. Changing three control factors (i.e., minimum distance, robot speed, logistic space configuration) on three levels, in a Design of Experiments, 27 layout configurations of the same workplace are generated. Consequently, the inputs that most affect the layout design are identified by means of an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results show that only one layout is eligible to be the best configuration, and only two out of three control factors are very significant for the designing of the HRC workplace layout. Hence, the proposed approach enables the designing of standard compliant and optimized HRC workplace layouts. Therefore, several alternatives of the layout for the same workplace can be easily generated and investigated in a systematic manner.
... 51 The current paper proposes a Knowledge-Based Approach (KBA) to face with the 52 mess and uncertainty characteristics of such complex scenarios. Thus, the KBA aims 53 at encouraging the implementation of collaborative workplaces and the exploitation 54 of the full potential of HRC. The collection, study, organization and exploitation of the 55 knowledge about HRC allowed creating a strong basis framework. ...
... In the same manner, the study and the critical analysis of the regulatory framework 289 leads to the identification of the main aspects related to safety and risk reduction within a 290 HRC workplace. However, a detailed discussion on standards is redundant considering 291 that other works [52][53][54] already did it. It suffices to recall that the standards regarding 292 robotics are organised into three types as follow: ...
The innovation driven Industry 5.0, in agreement with Industry 4.0, leads to consider human in a prominence position as the center of manufacturing field. This pushes towards the hybridization of manufacturing plants promoting a fully collaboration between human and robot. Furthermore, the new paradigm of "human centred design" and "anthropocentric design" allows enabling a synergistic combination of human and robot skills. However, properly collaborative workplaces are currently very few. Industry is still not confident, and systems integrators hesitate to venture into Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC). Despite the effort in collaborative robotics, a general solution to overcome the current limitations in designing of collaborative workplaces still misses. In the current work, a Knowledge-Based Approach (KBA) is adopted to face collaborative workplace designing problem. The framework resulting from the KBA allows developing a modelling paradigm that enable to define a streamlined approach for the layout designing of a collaborative workplace. Finally, a what-if analysis and a ANOVA analysis are performed to generate and evaluate a set of scenarios related to a collaborative workplace for quality inspection of welded parts. Facing the high complexity and multidisciplinary of HRC can be conveyed to develop a general design approach aimed at overcoming the difficulties that limit the spread of HRC in the manufacturing field.
... Ten tests were carried out to compare the proposed framework effectiveness with a standard three-fixed-areas SSM strategy (namely, the robot works at full speed, reduced speed, or stops if it is in a low, medium, or high danger zone) [24]. ...
In human-robot collaboration, the robot is required to properly react to the operator's movements to avoid collisions and interference. In this abstract, we present a path re-planning strategy to change the robot path online when a human is on the robot's way. The approach exploits a set of pre-computed paths to speed up the search for a new feasible solution and to improve the trajectory's readability. In addition, the algorithm continuously optimizes the current path in an anytime fashion to deal with strict computing time requirements. Experimental tests demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework with respect to industry best practices.
... Human-robot collaboration allow workers and robots into a shared workspace, conventional protective schemes established for industrial robotics no longer needed [6]. Standards such as, ISO 10218-1 [8], for robot safety and, ISO 10218-2 [9] robot system safety is still the governing standard, however collaborative applications (and robots), have properties that are not covered in these standards. ...
... Standards such as, ISO 10218-1 [8], for robot safety and, ISO 10218-2 [9] robot system safety is still the governing standard, however collaborative applications (and robots), have properties that are not covered in these standards. To solve this problem a technical supplement was issued in 2016, that contains necessary information and provides guidelines for designing safer collaborative applications (such as Power and Force Limitation, PFL) in ISO/TS 15066 [6,10]. This applies to industrial robot systems as mentioned in ISO 10218 1 & 2. It does not cover non-industrial robots, although these principles of safety described in the standard can be used in different fields of robotics. ...
... This applies to industrial robot systems as mentioned in ISO 10218 1 & 2. It does not cover non-industrial robots, although these principles of safety described in the standard can be used in different fields of robotics. Even if this guideline is used for the design of collaborative applications (e.g.: PFL type collaboration) the proper risk assessment must be carried out according to ISO 12100 [6,11]. ISO introduced four different methods of operation for human robot collaboration modes including:, safety-rated monitored stop (SrMS), hand guiding (HG), speed and separation monitoring (SSM), and power and force limiting (PFL) [4,10]. ...
In the automotive industry robots are widely used in the entire range of the production. In most cases, the isolation of the robots from human involvement can be easily achieved, by physically separating the production line or its elements from the workers (for example by a fence). In other cases, e.g.: in testing, measuring, quality control, mixed manual assembly, etc., humans have to work together with robots. In these cases collaborative robots (CoR, or CoBot) are starting to infiltrate into the production. With the strong promotion of Industry 4.0 and the introduction of cheaper robot designs the spread of CoR increased in a rapid rate. The management of factories also pushes the use of CoR in ever greater numbers. However the question still remains that the use of CoRs is necessary in all newly installed cells? Are the benefits greater than the disadvantages of these machines compared to classical industrial robots? In this paper a case study of a real industrial application in the field of automotive part supply is presented. The analysis is made on a control board-testing cell that utilises two UR10 type CoRs. The analysis tries to assess the question whether the advantage of collaborativeness of the whole cell, despite their current problems (higher price, the increase in cycle time due to the slower robotic motion, the varying rigidity and inferior accuracy), justifies the application of CoRs.
... Ten tests were carried out to compare the proposed framework effectiveness with a standard three-fixed-areas SSM strategy (namely, the robot works at full speed, reduced speed, or stops if it is in a low, medium, or high danger zone) [24]. ...
Robots working in proximity of humans often need to change their motion to avoid collisions and interference with the operators. This paper uses a path re-planning approach to change the robot path online when the human operator is in the robot way. The method uses a set of pre-computed paths and switches between them in case of obstruction to enhance the trajectory's readability. Moreover, the algorithm iteratively optimizes the current solution in an anytime fashion to deal with strict computing time requirements. Experimental results show the method's effectiveness in a collaborative cell, compared with industry best practices.
