US 2022/0184810 A1Published application

Robot arm safety system with runtime adaptable safety limits

AssigneeUniversal Robots A/S

InventorsAnders Billesø BECK, David BRANDT, Jakob Schultz ORMHØJ, Stefanos NASIOPOULOS

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Abstract

A robot system comprising a robot arm controlled by a process controller according to a combination of basic software and process software and a safety controller configured to monitor and evaluate operation of a robot arm. The basic software is associated with safety limits having normal values limiting operation of the robot arm. The process software is associated with at least one safety limit having a process value which is different from the normal value. The value of a safety limit is configured to be updated with the process value while the robot system is in run-time mode and the robot safety controller is configured to bring the robot arm into a violation stop mode based on the result of an evaluation of an operation parameter, the normal value and the process value of the at least one safety limit.

Claims30

Dependent claims

A robot system comprising:

a robotic arm (101) comprising joints connecting a base and a tool flange;
a process controller configured to control operation of the robotic arm using basic control software and process control software;
and
a safety controller configured to monitor and to evaluate operation of the robotic arm;
wherein the basic control software is associated with a set of safety limits, the safety limits having normal values, the safety limits for limiting operation of the robotic arm when the robotic arm is controlled by the process controller using the basic control software;
wherein the process control software is associated with at least one safety limit among the set of safety limits, the at least one safety limit having a process value that is different from a normal for the at least one safety limit;
wherein the process value is changeable while the robot system is in run-time mode;
and
wherein the safety controller is configured to cause the robotic arm to enter a violation stop mode if when an evaluation of one or more operational parameters indicates a violation that is based on a more restrictive one of the process value or the normal value for the at least one safety limit restrictive.

6 more elements

A method of monitoring a robot system, where the robot system comprises:

a robotic arm comprising joints connecting a base and a tool flange;
a process controller configured to operate the robotic arm using basic control software, wherein the operation of the robotic arm using the basic control software is limited by a normal value of a safety limit for each of a plurality of operational parameters;
and
a safety controller configured to monitor and to evaluate operation of the robotic arm;
wherein the process controller and the safety controller are on different hardware;
and
wherein the method comprises:
establishing at least one process value for at least one safety limit for the plurality of operational parameters;
storing, on system memory, process control software and the at least one process value;
using the process controller, controlling operation of the robotic arm based on the basic control software and the process control software;
during operation of the robotic robot arm, establishing a real-time value of at least one operational parameter;
and
using the safety controller, causing the robotic arm to enter a violation stop mode if when an evaluation of the real-time value of the at least one operational parameter results in a violation that is based on a more restrictive one of a process value or a normal value for the at least one safety limit.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.