Concept
Human-Robot Collaboration
Today, Europe is experiencing the re-shoring of production facilities previously off-shored to emerging countries. Reshoring is also likely to be driven by the availability of highly flexible and easy to use manufacturing robots.
Stopping Distance
The newly designed robot 3 factors contribute to the reduction of the stopping distance
20% expected reduction
dual-motor joint with fast braking and retraction10% expected reduction
dual-encoder joint with force feedback fast evaluation15% expected reduction
mechanical robot redesign with reduction of total robot inertia
Safeguarding Methods
Recently introduced sensors and robot technologies enable different degrees of HRC on the factory floor, ranging from fenceless coexistence to close collaboration.
Safety-related stop (STO)
The robot motion ceases before an operator enters the collaborative workspace to interact with the robot system and complete a task (e.g. loading a part onto the end- effector). Robot system motion can resume without any additional intervention only after the operator has exited the collaborative workspace.
Hand Guiding
The operator uses a hand-operated device to transmit motion commands to the robot system. Before the operator is permitted to enter the collaborative workspace and conduct the hand-guiding task, the robot achieves a safety-rated monitored stop. The task is carried out by manually actuating guiding devices located at or near the robot end-effector.
Speed and distance monitoring
The robot system and operator may move concurrently in the collaborative workspace. Risk reduction is achieved by maintaining at least the protective separation distance between operator and robot at all times during robot motion. When the robot system reduces its speed, the protective separation distance decreases correspondingly.
Power and force limiting
A physical contact between the robot system (including the workpiece) and an operator can occur either intentionally or unintentionally. Power and force limited collaborative operation requires robot systems specifically designed for this particular type of operation. Risk reduction is achieved, either through inherently safe means in the robot or through a safety-related control system.
Human-Robot Collaboration
In modern factories, human and robots can share workspace in different ways
Shared Workspace
The human co-worker is intended to carry out a certain task in at least a limited part of the robot workspace.
Simultaneous Co-Work
The human co-worker is intended to carry out a certain task within the shared workspace while the robot is moving to complete its task
Physical Contact
The human co-worker is intended to work hand in hand with the moving robot.
Collaboration
It is the closest form of cooperation and refers to joint actions to complete a common task at the same time, with physical contact needed and therefore included.
The Rossini answer
Through the project, the limits to HRC spread will be systematically addressed
Safety requirements limiting applications in terms of speed and payload
the ROSSINI platform will allow for higher working speeds and reduced separation distance in HRC thanks to specific technological improvement at the level of sensing, control and actuation technology
Need to assess the safety of HRC at the level of application
the ROSSINI holistic approach will carry out an effective harmonisation of different technologies through an integrated platform, thus ensuring the inherent safety of the developed applications
Lack of workforce acceptance in HRC
The ROSSINI human-robot mutual understanding will improve the quality of the human job, and will provide an early assessment of the job quality impact on HRC already in the design phase