Safety Strategy for Human–Robot Collaboration: Design and Development in Cellular Manufacturing

In a given manufacturing setting where workers or robots are coexisting in a confined area and their movements are not coordinated due to loss in communication or because they are freely ranging relative to each other, the development of an onboard safeguard system for a robot becomes a necessity to reduce accidents while the production efficiency is uncompromised. This article develops a two-dimensional dynamics model that predicts the relative position between a robot’s end-of-arm tooling and an approaching object or threat. The safety strategy applied to the robot is derived from the calculation of three parameters: the time of collision predicted from the linear motion between the approaching object and the robot’s end-of-arm tooling, the relative absolute distance, and the overlapping area ratio. These parameters combined are updated in a cost function that is sufficiently alarming the collision severity of an approaching object in real time. This model enables deployment a safe and a productive collaborative interaction in the manufacturing environment where workers and robots are seemingly moving in close proximity within an open workspace with less safeguard barriers.

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Safety-based human-robot collaboration in cellular manufacturing: A case study of power protector assembly

2013 International Conference on Advanced Robotics and Intelligent Systems ◽

10.1109/aris.2013.6573529 ◽

2013 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jhen-Jia Hu ◽

Chung-Ning Huang ◽

Hau-Wei Wang ◽

Po-Huang Shieh ◽

Jwu-Sheng Hu

Keyword(s):

Cellular Manufacturing ◽

Human Robot Collaboration

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Safety Strategy in the Smart Manufacturing System: A Human Robot Collaboration Case Study

Volume 2: Manufacturing Processes; Manufacturing Systems; Nano/Micro/Meso Manufacturing; Quality and Reliability ◽

10.1115/msec2020-8427 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Xi Vincent Wang ◽

Lihui Wang

Keyword(s):

Manufacturing Industry ◽

Industrial Robot ◽

Working Environment ◽

Smart Manufacturing ◽

Future Research ◽

Human Beings ◽

Biometric Data ◽

Action Strategy ◽

Human Robot Collaboration ◽

Safety Strategy

Abstract The next generation of the manufacturing industry calls for new approaches with smarter functionalities and better/safer working environment for human beings. The Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) approach provides a feasible solution combing the flexibility and intelligence of a human, together with the accuracy and strength of an industrial robot. However, in the past years, despite the significant development of different HRC approaches, there is still a lack of clear safety strategy for an HRC system. Thus in this paper, the extensive taxonomy of the human-robot relations are first defined to provide a clear classification in different robotic scenarios. Then a comprehensive action strategy is developed toward different scenarios and human stakeholder’s roles. A dynamic HRC layout approach is also introduced based on the actual speed of human and robot and the distance between them. The feasibility of the proposed approaches in this paper is then evaluated via the implemenntation in an HRC-based assembly cell. The operator’s biometric data is also included in the HRC control loop. It is proven achievable to conduct personalised HRC safety strategy based on the human stakeholder’s role, physical conditions, speed and so forth. The future research outlooks and essential considerations are addressed at the end of the paper.

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The Design and Development of a Sci-Tech Information Sharing Platform for Chongming Science and Technology Support

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.846-847.1805 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 846-847 ◽

pp. 1805-1808

Author(s):

Yi Lin ◽

Qing Yun Shou ◽

Hui Ping Si ◽

Jun Gao ◽

Feng Wang

Keyword(s):

Information Sharing ◽

Science And Technology ◽

Support Program ◽

Technology Support ◽

Design And Development ◽

Special Support ◽

Special Fund ◽

Data Compilation ◽

Visual Query ◽

Safety Strategy

Form 2004, Shanghai has started the corresponding Science and technology support program for the construction of Chongming eco-island. With eight years of continuous special support, it has a series of noticeable effects. Facing the problem of asymmetry of Sci-techl information, inability to realize Sci-Tech data compilation and sharing, and slowness of transferring scientific achievement into productivity, to establish a Sci-tech information sharing platform is very important for realizing the technical swift communication and authentic sharing. This study elaborated the design and development of the platform, the establishment of the database, the visual query and browsing technique, application of WebGIS and platform safety strategy. The Sic-tech information sharing platform includes all Sic-tech projects of Chongming special fund and all corresponding key technology and results based on Web page. Meanwhile, it provides strong related search functions for different users. The platform has entered a practical using and comes into great effect gradually.

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