In recent years, the rapid development of UR robot technology has made robots widely used in various fields. As an important part of UR robot, robot arm has the advantages of flexibility, efficiency and precision, and plays an important role in industrial production, medical and health care, warehousing and logistics. However, in man-machine collaboration environment, the safety of robot arm has become the focus of attention. The following Xiaobian will introduce the safety sensing technology of UR robotic arm and discuss how to achieve the safety of human-machine collaboration.

I. Overview of UR robotic arm safety sensing technology

1. Safety awareness training

In order to realize the safety of man-machine cooperation, it is necessary to cultivate the safety awareness of the manipulator operators. Provide relevant training and education to understand the potential dangers and operation specifications of the robot arm, conduct reasonable application in accordance with the regulations and requirements, avoid serious safety risks, and be more conducive to interpersonal collaboration.

2. Safety sensor

The UR robotic arm is equipped with a variety of safety sensors to sense its surroundings and contact with the human body in real time. These include vision sensors, force sensors, lidar and more. These sensors provide accurate data to help the arm avoid collisions and monitor force changes.

3. Security software system

The UR robot arm is equipped with an advanced safety software system that can monitor the motion state of the robot arm in real time and react accordingly based on sensor data. When a dangerous situation is detected, the UR robot software system can stop the movement of the robot arm in time to protect the safety of the operator.

The picture is taken from UR robot’s official website

Second, the application of safety sensing technology in man-machine collaboration

1. Dynamic obstacle detection

The UR arm’s security sensing technology detects obstacles in the surrounding environment in real time, including moving people, objects, etc. Using technology such as vision sensors and lidar, the robot arm can predict the trajectory of obstacles and make corresponding evasive actions to avoid collision with obstacles.

2. Contact force control

The UR arm is equipped with a force sensor that monitors the contact force between the arm and the human body in real time. When the robot arm is in contact with the human body, the force sensor can sense the change of force, and control the force output of the robot arm through the safety software system to ensure the safety of the contact process and avoid serious contact or collision failures.

3. Security area setting

In the man-machine collaboration scenario, the safe area can be set through the safety software system to limit the range of motion of the robot arm. When the operator enters the safe area, the robot arm will automatically reduce the movement speed or stop the movement to avoid serious accident risks, and can carry out continuous stable and safe work in the corresponding area.

4. Visual safety tips

In order to improve the safety of human-machine collaboration, the UR robot arm provides visual safety tips through displays and other means. For example, during the movement of the robot arm, the display can display the movement trajectory of the robot arm and predict the position of obstacles, so that the operator can better understand the state of the robot arm, thus reducing the possibility of accidents.

3. Challenges and prospects of man-machine collaboration

1. Balance between safety and efficiency

In the process of implementing human-machine collaboration, safety and efficiency are interrelated. In order to ensure safety, the robot arm needs to make conservative motion planning, but this can lead to reduced efficiency. Future research needs to find a balance between safety and efficiency to improve the working efficiency of the robotic arm.

2. Intelligent human-computer interaction

In order to further improve the safety and efficiency of human-machine collaboration, it is necessary to intellectualize human-machine interaction. By introducing technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, robotic arms can better understand human intentions and behaviors and respond accordingly, enabling higher levels of human-machine collaboration.