In the past, industrial robots sacrificed safety in pursuit of maximizing speed and performance, resulting in them being unable to operate outside of safety barriers. As a result, traditional industrial robots failed to be widely adopted.
Unlike traditional industrial robots, collaborative robots are designed to share physical space with humans and work together, breaking through the limitations of space and location and unleashing unlimited possibilities, provided that they have a sufficiently high level of safety.
How can the safety of collaborative robots be ensured?
Without addressing safety issues, how can we talk about human-robot collaboration? In the collaborative robot industry, "safety" has always been a top priority for manufacturers!
Regarding the safety of collaborative robots, the ISO/TS15066 standard for the design of collaborative robots specifies four types of safe collaboration:
The first method is to stop the security monitoring system when someone approaches and resume operation immediately when the person leaves.
The second method is manual guidance, which uses control devices to guide the robot (commonly seen in drag-and-drop teaching).
The third type is speed and separation monitoring. The robot's speed changes according to the distance from the person, and the speed drops to zero (stops) when the person gets very close to the robot.
The fourth is power and force limitation, which prevents injury to people by limiting the output of power and force.
However, in terms of implementation methods, there are two types of safety detection for collaborative robots: pre-collision detection and post-collision detection.
The pre-collision detection method anticipates object intrusion and responds by slowing down, ultimately stopping the robot before a collision occurs. The advantage of this method is that the robot can operate at full speed, ensuring production efficiency. However, its disadvantages are also significant: when people frequently enter the work area, the robot will be forced to reduce its speed or stop working, ultimately sacrificing efficiency.
In addition, in order to detect intruding objects in real time and effectively, a dedicated monitoring system must be built, such as using detection devices like safety mats, vision systems, and safety light curtains. This not only occupies workspace but also increases the overall cost of the robotic solution.
Collision detection, also known as post-collision detection, involves the robot immediately stopping after a collision with another physical object to prevent further damage. Collision detection is a common method that uses highly sensitive force sensors or current loops for detection, responding quickly once a collision occurs.
Collision test
In reality, collision detection only responds after a collision has occurred, meaning the damage has already taken place. Furthermore, to ensure the damage remains within acceptable limits, the robot's output force and operating speed must be restricted, significantly reducing its performance and efficiency.
Contactless is safe! Efficiency and safety at the same time.
Is there a way to ensure the safety of collaborative robots without reducing their operating efficiency, increasing their additional costs, or compromising their safety?
The answer is Dobot SafeSkin!, a non-contact safety sensing and detection solution.
Dobot SafeSkin is a unique safety technology developed by Yuejiang Technology specifically for collaborative robots. No contact, only safety! The safety skin can detect intruders at a distance of 10-20cm and respond quickly within 10ms, fully ensuring human safety.
Based on Yuejiang Technology's independently developed pre-collision sensing safety technology, the robot does not need to slow down in advance. When a person or obstacle approaches the robot and a collision is imminent, it quickly responds, pausing its operation to avoid injury. Once the person leaves, the robot automatically resumes operation, balancing efficiency and safety.
Safe skin pre-sensing technology enables robots to achieve a high level of safety.
Unlike traditional collision detection solutions for collaborative robots, Yuejiang Safety Skin employs mid-collision detection technology, providing collaborative robots with non-contact proximity sensing and collision prevention safety solutions while ensuring production efficiency.
Practice has proven that the safety skin solution can completely prevent collaborative robots from being injured at low to medium speeds. At high speeds, it can reduce collision damage by 90%.
