Safe operation of machinery using potential occupancy envelopes
OwnerPaul Jakob SCHROEDER, Ilya A. KRIVESHKO +5inventors
InventorsPaul Jakob SCHROEDER, Ilya A. KRIVESHKO, Marek WARTENBERG, Brad C. MELLO, Clara VU, Scott DENENBERG, Abraham K. FELDMAN
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Abstract
Various embodiments for enforcing safe operation of machinery performing an activity in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace includes computationally generating a 3D spatial representation of the workspace; computationally mapping 3D regions of the workspace corresponding to space occupied by the machinery and a human; and based thereon, restricting operation of the machinery in accordance with a safety protocol during physical performance of the activity.
Claims30
A safety system for enforcing safe operation of machinery performing an activity in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace, the system comprising:
- a computer memory for storing (i) a model of the machinery and its permitted movements and (ii) a safety protocol specifying speed restrictions of the machinery in proximity to a human and a minimum separation distance between the machinery and a human;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- computationally generate, from the stored images, a 3D spatial representation of the workspace;
- simulate, via a simulation module, performance of at least a portion of the activity by the machinery in accordance with the stored model;
- map, via a mapping module, a first 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied by the machinery within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the machinery spanning movements simulated by the simulation module;
- identify a second 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied or potentially occupied by a human within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the human corresponding to anticipated movements of the human within the workspace within a predetermined future time;
- and
- during physical performance of the activity, restrict operation of the machinery in accordance with a safety protocol based on proximity between the first and second regions.
A method of enforcing safe operation of machinery performing an activity in a three-dimensional (3D) workspace, the method comprising:
- electronically storing (i) a model of the machinery and its permitted movements and (ii) a safety protocol specifying speed restrictions of the machinery in proximity to a human and a minimum separation distance between the machinery and a human;
- computationally generating, from the stored images, a 3D spatial representation of the workspace;
- computationally simulating performance of at least a portion of the activity by the machinery in accordance with the stored model;
- computationally mapping a first 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied by the machinery within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the machinery spanning computationally simulated movements;
- computationally identifying a second 3D region of the workspace corresponding to space occupied or potentially occupied by a human within the workspace augmented by a 3D envelope around the human corresponding to anticipated movements of the human within the workspace within a predetermined future time;
- and
- during physical performance of the activity, restricting operation of the machinery in accordance with a safety protocol based on proximity between the first and second regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.