Sensor Suite Discrepancy Detection System for Safe Operation of a Robot or Robotic System

A robotic system, comprising:

• a joint mechanism with a joint encoder configured to generate sensor output data corresponding to a position of the joint mechanism;
• a motor operatively coupled to the joint mechanism and having a motor encoder configured to generate sensor output data corresponding to a position of the actuator;
• a transmission coupled to and between the motor and the joint mechanism, the transmission having a compliance that elastically deforms in proportion to an applied load, and the transmission having a transmission ratio;
• a load cell associated with the robotic system and configured to generate sensor output data corresponding to the applied load;
• and
• a controller configured to execute a remedial measure associated with a safety mode of the robotic system based on an identified discrepancy between the sensor output data of the load cell compared to transformed sensor output data from the joint position sensor and the actuator position sensor, accounting for the transmission ratio, related to a difference in position and representing a transmission deflection, and correlated to a corresponding force associated with the difference in position.

A method for safe operation of a robotic system, the method comprising:

• operating the robotic system in a normal operation mode, the robotic system comprising:
• a joint mechanism, a motor operatively coupled to the joint mechanism, and a compliant transmission coupled to and between the motor and the joint mechanism, the transmission having a transmission ratio;
• operating a sensor discrepancy detection system of the robotic system, the sensor discrepancy detection system comprising a load cell generating sensor output data, a joint position sensor associated with the joint mechanism generating sensor output data corresponding to position of the joint mechanism, and a motor position sensor associated with the motor generating sensor output data corresponding to position of the motor, to identified a discrepancy between the sensor output data of the load cell compared to transformed sensor output data from the joint position sensor and the actuator position sensor, accounting for the transmission ratio, related to a difference in position and representing a transmission deflection, and correlated to a corresponding force associated with the difference in position;
• and
• operating the robotic system in a safe operating mode as switched by the controller from the normal operating mode based on the identified discrepancy.