Hannover Messe 2017

••• 15••• Innovationen For a good teamwork New security concept and intelligent robot control To rule out any potential risk to employ- ees, heavy-duty robots in manufacturing have so far operated in a separate envi- ronment. However, cooperation would be much more efficient if humans and robots worked side by side, without protective barriers. But how does one ensure safety? The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) has now come up with a solution to this problem. The experts at Fraunhofer IWU have de- veloped a differentiated safety concept that begins by defining different levels of collaboration. The more intensive the in- teraction between human and machine, the higher the level and more stringent the safety regulations. For example, if the ro- bot needs to hand over a component to an employee, it moves as slowly and carefully as determined for this level. When working on separate tasks at a safe distance from each other, robots can work at full speed. Fraunhofer researchers have defined a to- tal of four levels of collaboration. These levels are supplemented by dividing collaborative work areas into spatial zones. Each zone specifies how close humans and machines are to each other. At the lowest level, there are only two zones; a green and a red zone. If the employee is at a safe dis- tance from the robot, it indicates a green zone and the robot can work at full speed. As soon as an employee approaches, a red zone is activated and the robot immediate- ly stops working. In instances where team- work is required – for instance to swap components or tools – then a yellow zone of cooperation is added. The heavy-duty ro- bot now moves carefully and at low speed. In order for the robot to respond properly, it must know the employee’s position and route at all times. It can do this with the help of several cameras that enable it to “see”. Two cameras are placed above the work area and provide a view of the entire work space. They also show the employee’s current location. An additional camera sits on the “head” of the robot and captures the close-up area. It helps the robot rec- ognize the face, hand or component in the employee’s hand. A row of sensors supplement the cameras. To prevent a collision, they register param- eters such as the robot’s position, accelera- tion and power as well as the employee’s position and movement. The intelligent algorithms developed by Fraunhofer IWU help evaluate all this data. They ensure that the robot’s behavior is constantly aligned with all the safety regulations. The robot hands a component to its human colleague. Photo: Fraunhofer IWU Safety zones: The display shows the different zones. In the yellow zone, robots and hu- mans collaborate, with the robot moving significantly slower in this zone. Photo: Fraunhofer IWU Continued from page 1 24. – 28. April 2017 Halle 9, Stand F69 Halle 27, Stand M72 FÜR IHRE SICHERHEIT » Schulungen » Dienstleistungen » Engineering » Retrofit Hier erfahren Sie mehr www.wieland-electric.com/de/ service/dienstleistungen