Clustering and detection system and method for safety monitoring in a collaborative workspace

A method for monitoring a shared workspace including a machine and a human, the method comprising:

• receiving, via a safety control system, data including (a) position information associated with a position of a human within the workspace and (b) position information associated with a position of a machine within the workspace, wherein the data includes position information relating to any respective object carried by one or both of the human and the machine;
• generating, via the safety control system, an occupancy map based on the data, wherein the occupancy map includes data points relating to a captured position of the human, the machine, and the respective object carried by one or both the human and the machine within the workspace;
• clustering, via the safety control system, the data points in the occupancy map to form a plurality of cluster sets, wherein each cluster set contains all neighboring occupied data points in the occupancy map that are connected to one another;
• receiving, via the safety control system, a first set of predefined descriptors containing instructions for associating the data points in the plurality of cluster sets with the human and a second set of predefined descriptors containing instructions for associating the data points in the plurality of cluster sets with the machine;
• assigning, via the safety control system, at least some of the cluster sets as (1) a human cluster based on the first set of predefined descriptors, the human cluster representing the position of the human within the workspace along with any respective object carried by the human, or as (2) a machine cluster based on the second set of predefined descriptors, the machine cluster representing the position of the machine within the workspace along with any respective object carried by the machine, or as (3) a mixed cluster based on both the first and second set of predefined descriptors, the mixed cluster indicating an overlap of at least one human cluster and at least one machine cluster within the occupancy map;
• determining, via the safety control system, whether at least one cluster set is assigned as the mixed cluster;
• generating, via the safety control system, a safety action signal in response to the safety control system determining that at least one cluster set is assigned as the mixed cluster;
• and
• calculating, via the safety control system, a protective separation distance between the human cluster and the machine cluster in response to the safety control system determining that no mixed cluster is assigned to any of the cluster sets, wherein in response to the protective separation distance being greater than a threshold distance, a movement speed and trajectory of the machine are maintained, and/or wherein in response to the protective separation distance being less than the threshold distance, the movement speed and/or trajectory of the machine are slowed down.