# US 2024/0198528 A1 · Apparatus and methods to reduce impact of robot collision and/or avoid robot collision

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- Number: US 2024/0198528 A1
- Document ID: US20240198528A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/066,787
- Filed: 2022-12-15
- Published: 2024-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2022-12-15
- Assignees: The Boeing Company
- Applicants: The Boeing Company
- Inventors: Jason G. DeStories; Michael R. Mercer; Ashley B. Bruno; Curtis R. Estevo; Jeffrey Peebles; Basilio Penuelas; Blaze Mitanoski
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240198528A1

## CPC

- B25J 19/06: Safety devices
- B25J 9/1674: {characterised by safety, monitoring, diagnostic}
- B25J 9/1676: {Avoiding collision or forbidden zones}
- B25J 13/087: {for sensing other physical parameters, e.g. electrical or chemical properties}
- B25J 13/088: {with position, velocity or acceleration sensors}
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})

## Abstract

Apparatus and methods to reduce impact of robot collision and/or avoid robot collision are described herein. An example collision detection device includes a housing to be coupled to an automated robot, a sensor in the housing, a relay in the housing, the relay to be electrically coupled to a safety circuit of the automated robot, and circuitry in the housing. The circuitry is to determine a parameter value based a signal from the sensor, compare the parameter value to a threshold value, and, in response to the parameter value satisfying the threshold value, trigger the relay to stop the automated robot.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A collision detection device comprising:
a housing, the housing to be coupled to an automated robot;
a sensor in the housing;
a relay in the housing, the relay to be electrically coupled to a safety circuit of the automated robot; and
circuitry in the housing, the circuitry to:
determine a parameter value based a signal from the sensor;
compare the parameter value to a threshold value; and
in response to the parameter value satisfying the threshold value, trigger the relay to stop the automated robot.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The collision detection device of claim 1, wherein the collision detection device is independent of a control system associated with the automated robot.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The collision detection device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes a microprocessor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The collision detection device of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is to reset the relay after a period of time.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The collision detection device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The collision detection device of claim 5, wherein the parameter value is an acceleration value.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The collision detection device of claim 6, further including a display, the circuitry to cause the display to display the acceleration value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The collision detection device of claim 7, wherein the circuitry is to cause the display to change colors in response to the parameter value satisfying the threshold value.

### Claim 9 (depends on 5)

The collision detection device of claim 5, wherein the accelerometer is to output signals indicative of acceleration in X, Y, and Z directions, and wherein the circuitry is to:
determine acceleration values for the X, Y, and Z directions;
compare the acceleration values to respective threshold values; and
in response to one of the acceleration values satisfying the respective threshold value, trigger the relay to stop the automated robot.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The collision detection device of claim 5, wherein the parameter value is a change in acceleration.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The collision detection device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a microphone, and wherein the parameter value is sound energy.

### Claim 12

A method comprising:
determining, via a processor, a parameter value based on a signal from a sensor, wherein the sensor, the processor, and a relay are disposed in a housing that is coupled to an automated robot, the relay electrically coupled to a safety circuit of the automated robot;
comparing, via the processor, the parameter value to a threshold value; and
in response to the parameter value satisfying the threshold value, triggering, via the processor, the relay to stop the automated robot.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor is an accelerometer, and wherein the parameter value includes at least one of an acceleration value or a change in acceleration value.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the sensor is a microphone, and wherein the parameter value is sound energy.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the automated robot is a collaborative robot.

### Claim 16

A non-transitory machine readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed, cause processor circuitry to at least:
determine a parameter value based on a signal from a sensor, wherein the sensor, the processor circuitry, and a relay are disposed in a housing that is coupled to an automated robot, the relay electrically coupled to an emergency stop circuit of the automated robot;
compare the parameter value to a threshold value; and
in response to the parameter value satisfying the threshold value, trigger the relay to stop the automated robot.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the parameter value includes at least one of an acceleration value, a change in acceleration value, or sound energy.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed cause the processor circuitry to determine the threshold value based on a nominal range of acceleration during a process performed by the automated robot.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor circuitry to set the threshold value based on input from a user.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the processor circuitry to reset the relay after a period of time.