Dynamic Automation Work Zone Safety System

• US 20170100838A1
• Filed: 10/12/2015
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Lewis, Melissa H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,981,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1676 Avoiding collision or forbidden zones
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40202 Human robot coexistence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40203 Detect position of operator, create non material barrier to protect operator
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49141 Detect near collision and slow, stop, inhibit movement tool

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for operating robotic actors in a human/robotic environment. A safety controller that is configured to communicate with one or more robotic actors can receive actor information about at least a location of one or more actors. The safety controller can receive robot information comprising at least a location of a particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors. The safety controller can determine a command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor information and the robot information. The safety controller can generate an output including the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving actor information about at least a location of one or more actors at a safety controller, wherein the safety controller is configured to communicate with one or more robotic actors;

receiving, at the safety controller, robot information comprising at least a location of a particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors;

determining a command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors by the safety controller applying one or more safety criteria to the actor information and the robot information; and

generating, by the safety controller, an output including the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises one or more of:

a command to switch the particular robotic actor into a particular safety mode,

a command to start the particular robotic actor,

a command to stop the particular robotic actor,

a command to reduce a speed of the particular robotic actor,

a command to increase the speed of the particular robotic actor, and

a command to change a direction of movement of at least a portion of the particular robotic actor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the command to change the direction of movement comprises one or more of:

a command to change movement of the entire particular robotic actor, and

a command to change movement of one or more actuators of the particular robotic actor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the actor information comprises receiving the actor information via a wireless communication interface coupled to the safety controller.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the actor information comprises a request to stop the particular robotic actor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises:

determining an actor position based on the actor information, wherein the actor position comprises at least one of a location, velocity, and acceleration for at least one actor of the one or more actors;

determining a robot position based on the robot information, wherein the robot position comprises at least one of a location, velocity, and acceleration for the particular robotic actor; and

determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor position and the robotic position.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor position and the robotic position comprises:

determining a difference between the actor position and the robotic position;

determining whether the difference is less than a medium-risk threshold;

after determining that the difference is less than the medium-risk threshold, determining whether the difference is less than a high-risk threshold; and

after determining that the difference is less than the high-risk threshold, determining that the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises a command to switch the particular robotic actor into a high-safety mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises:

determining an actor status based on the actor information, wherein the actor status comprises information about a biological indicator of the one or more actors; and

determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor status.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor status comprises:

determining whether the information about the biological indicator indicates a high-stress level for the one or more actors; and

after determining that the information about the biological indicator indicates a high-stress level for the one or more actors, determining that the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises a command to switch the particular robotic actor into a high-safety mode.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a display of indicia related to the one or more actors based on the actor information and the robot information.

11. A safety controller, comprising:

a processor in communication with one or more robotic actors, the processor configured to receive robotic information comprising at least a location of a particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors, and to receive actor information about at least a location of one or more actors; and

data storage, storing instructions that, upon execution by the processor, cause the computing device to perform safety-controller functions comprising;

determining a command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor information and the robot information; and

generating an output including the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor.

12. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises one or more of:

a command to switch the particular robotic actor into a particular safety mode,

a command to start the particular robotic actor,

a command to stop the particular robotic actor,

a command to reduce a speed of the particular robotic actor,

a command to increase the speed of the particular robotic actor, and

a command to change a direction of movement of at least a portion of the particular robotic actor.

13. The computing device of claim 12, wherein the command to change the direction of movement comprises one or more of:

a command to change movement of the entire particular robotic actor, and

a command to change movement of one or more actuators of the particular robotic actor.

14. The computing device of claim 11, further comprising a wireless communications interface, and wherein receiving the actor information comprises receiving the actor information via the wireless communication interface coupled to the safety controller.

15. The computing device of claim 11, wherein the actor information comprises a request to stop the particular robotic actor.

16. The computing device of claim 11, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises:

determining an actor position based on the actor information, wherein the actor position comprises at least one of a location, velocity, and acceleration for at least one actor of the one or more actors;

determining a robot position based on the robot information, wherein the robot position comprises at least one of a location, velocity, and acceleration for the particular robotic actor; and

determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor position and the robotic position.

17. The computing device of claim 16, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor position and the robotic position comprises:

determining a difference between the actor position and the robotic position;

determining whether the difference is less than a medium-risk threshold;

after determining that the difference is less than the medium-risk threshold, determining whether the difference is less than a high-risk threshold; and

after determining that the different is less than the high-risk threshold, determining that the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises a command to swtich the particular robotic actor into a high-safety mode.

18. The computing device of claim 11, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises:

determining an actor status based on the actor information, wherein the actor status comprises information about a biological indicator of the one or more actors; and

determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor status.

19. The computing device of claim 18, wherein determining the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor status comprises:

determining whether the information about the biological indicator indicates a high-stress level for the one or more actors; and

after determining that the information about the biological indicator indicates a high-stress level for the one or more actors, determining that the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor comprises a command to switch the particular robotic actor into a high-safety mode.

20. An article of manufacture, comprising a tangible computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, upon execution by a processor of the article of manufacture, cause the article of manufacture to perform functions comprising:

receiving actor information about at least a location of one or more actors, wherein the article of manufacture is configured to communicate with one or more robotic actors;

receiving robot information at least a location of a particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors;

determining a command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor of the one or more robotic actors by applying one or more safety criteria to the actor information and the robot information; and

generating an output including the command for controlling operation of the particular robotic actor.