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US-12617091-B2 - Safety features for a robot assembly and method of same

US12617091B2US 12617091 B2US12617091 B2US 12617091B2US-12617091-B2

Abstract

A robot assembly for safe operation in a manufacturing setting with humans including a sensor for detecting movement of the robot assembly and a human location. A positional apparatus including at least one tag located on the robot apparatus and at least one detector for detecting the tag. Posture nodes associated with a human saved in memory. A method that includes, generating a task movement plan based on images captured by the sensors, tags detected by the detector, and posture nodes of a nearby human captured by the sensor.

Inventors

  • Zixu Zhang
  • Rajeev Verma
  • Alexander Zak

Assignees

  • Magna powertrain gmbh & co kg

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20220304

Claims (14)

  1. 1 . A method for operating a robot assembly to prevent collision with a human in a manufacturing setting, the method comprising the steps of: providing a robot assembly with a positional apparatus having at least one tag; performing predefined movements with the robot assembly associated with an assigned task; detecting the at least one tag on the positional apparatus with a detector and generating a movement model of the robot assembly; and replacing the positional apparatus with a robotic hand configured to perform tasks associated with the movement model.
  2. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the positional apparatus includes a plurality of sides with each side including at least one tag.
  3. 3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein each of the sides includes at least two distinct tags.
  4. 4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising capturing a plurality of images of the robot assembly during the assigned task, wherein the images include movement and position of the robot itself.
  5. 5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising extrapolating 3D information from the plurality of images.
  6. 6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising continuously capturing additional images and, in response thereto, modifying a predetermined movement of the robot assembly.
  7. 7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising modeling human posture and generating a plurality of posture modes.
  8. 8 . The method of claim 7 further comprising capturing images of a human working in close proximity with the robot assembly.
  9. 9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising extrapolating 3D information from the images of the human working and determining a hazard is present.
  10. 10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising generating posture nodes associated with a human.
  11. 11 . The method of claim 10 further comprising determining a range of motion of the human.
  12. 12 . The method of claim 1 further comprising detecting a human approaching the robot assembly during performance of the predetermined task.
  13. 13 . The method of claim 12 further comprising stopping or changing the performance of the predefined task in response to detecting the human approaching.
  14. 14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method includes providing a system including: at least one computing device having at least one processor and at least one memory having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform at least one step of the method of claim 1 .

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This U.S. National Stage Patent Application claims the benefit of PCT International Patent Application Serial No. PCT/US2022/018921 filed Mar. 4, 2022 entitled “SAFETY FEATURES FOR A ROBOT ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF SAME” which claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/156,434, filed Mar. 4, 2021 and titled “Safety Features for a Robot Assembly and Method of Same,” the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to robots in manufacturing environment. More particularly, the present invention relates to safety features for robots used in a manufacturing environment. 2. Related Art This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. As productivity and efficiency are the goals in any manufacturing environment, robots are being utilized, now more than ever, for a greater number of tasks. Conventional robots are known to weld, assemble, and move workpieces between locations, whereas humans typically perform more complicated tasks that require recognition of several types of objects. While there is typically some overlap between an area in which a robot is operating and an area in which a human is working, robots have traditionally operated within the confines of highly-controlled environments. In highly controlled environments, robots can be programed to execute repeated and preprogramed tasks with limited risks of damaging nearby environments. However, with improvements in technology, modern robots are now being programmed to perform more and more advanced tasks similar to those of a human. With these advanced tasks, robots are now being placed in close confines with humans and with higher degrees of freedom than ever before. The major concern of introducing robots to a manufacturing environment where humans are working is safety. Specifically, the concern is that a robot's movement and a human's movement will intersect; causing a collision that ultimately harms the human or damages the robot. The main goal of using robots is productivity that, in theory, will recoup the large initial cost of buying the robots. Productivity requires these robots to perform tasks quickly, but the faster a robot performs a task, the higher the magnitude of potential harm to both the robot and the human during a collision. As is often times the case, an attempt to create a safer setting for humans detrimentally affects productivity. Various strategies have been employed to create safer manufacturing environments. One strategy is to create a physical barrier around an area in which the robot operates so that a human must remain a safe distance away. This method, while simple, requires additional space in the manufacturing environment and is generally over restrictive, particularly for robots that move between locations. All of these strategies slow productivity and are not guaranteed to avoid collision with a human, particularly a human that is moving. Moreover, even when a human is standing in one place, their upper body or a carried object will move as required for that given task creating an area of risk beyond what is anticipated. Accordingly, there exists a need to advance the art such that neither safety nor productivity must suffer. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention, a method for operating a robot assembly to prevent collision with a human in a manufacturing setting is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a robot assembly with a positional apparatus having at least one tag; performing predefined movements with the robot assembly associated with an assigned task; and detecting the at least one tag on the positional apparatus with a detector and generating a movement model of the robot assembly. In one aspect, the method includes replacing the positional apparatus with a robotic hand configured to perform tasks associated with the movement model. In one aspect, the positional apparatus includes a plurality of sides with each side including at least one tag. In one aspect, each of the sides includes at least two distinct tags. In one aspect, the method includes capturing a plurality of images of the robot assembly during the assigned task. In one aspect, the method includes extrapolating 3D information from the plurality of images. In one aspect, the method includes generating posture nodes associated with a human. In one aspect, the method includes determining a range of motion of the human. In one aspect, the method includes detecting a human approaching the robot assembly during performance of the predetermined task. In one aspect, the method includes stopping or changing the performance of the predefined task in response to detecting the human approaching. In another aspect, a vision processing method is provided, including the st