Machine Vision for Collaborative Robot Applications

Machine Vision for Collaborative Robot Applications

David L. Dechow

FANUC America Corporation


Topics

• Overview of collaborative robot technologies

• The roles for machine vision

• It’s still machine vision - Unique challenges

• Applications and future trends

• A disclaimer…


Collaborative Robot Overview

Defining the “collaborative” robot

• The COBOT landscape



Safety considerations

• ANSI/RIA specifications

• ISO/TS 15066

• How they might be implemented



Safety considerations



Safety Considerations

• Safety Rated Monitored Stop

• Safe I/O input from safety rated device (scanner or light screen)• Input to DCS enables speed limit of 0 mm/s or 0 deg/s• Robot program can remain in cycle, no e-stop issues• Once the operator leaves the protected area, production can resume with

out any delay for faults to clear or servo power to be re-enabled




• Hand Guiding




• Speed and Separation Monitoring

• Completely fenceless operation


18” +

Stopping

Distance

Operating

Space

18” +

Stopping

Distance

Operating

Space

Semi-Fenceless Concept

using DCS Position Check and

a Safety Area Scanner

Safety Zone:

DCS Zero

Speed Zone

Warning Zone

#2: Program

Pause

Warning Zone

#1: Speed

Override to

250mm/sec



• Power and Force Limiting• Sensitivity varies

• Pinch points must beconsidered

• Speed and payloads impactthe safety requiremets


Force and power limiting can be achieved by

monitoring and stopping robot based on force

detected between a robot and operator

Force and power limiting = Contact Stop

Stop

Push J2

Push J1

Retract



• Integrators and/or Users MUST do a risk assessment• Having a collaborative robot in the cell does not make the entire cell safe

• Design must mitigate hazards in other cell components including the part and tooling

• Possible contact between a person and robot must not result in injury

• What are appropriate values for force, when the operator and robot collide, without causing pain or injury

• The international standards groups have been looking at this problem and have preliminary guidance for what is appropriate based on medical studies

• This needs to be balanced with the tasks and possible contacts within a cell

• ISO TS15066 helps address these questions



Applications and limitations

• Many uses • Part installation and assembly

• Part delivery

• Machine tending

• Palletizing/packing/depalletizing

• Meeting speed and payload expectations


The Roles For Machine Vision

The two sides of collaboration

• Working autonomously or together• “Safe” robots working in the vicinity of human workers

• Robot and human collaboration – can we see each other?


The Roles For Machine Vision

More-flexibile automation

• Human-like performance means human-like environments• True collaboration is elusive with respect to machine vision technology

• VGR for the collaborative robot – standard techniques and perhaps much more


It’s Still Machine Vision

It’s still machine vision…

• Similar methods, new challenges• Ease of use at highest demand

• Complex application requirements impact machine vision implementations

• Support tools can ease robot programming

• Broader recognition capabilities are at a premium

• 3D is more in demand



Some VGR basics

• 2D guidance – finding and delivering the object



Some VGR basics

• 3D guidance – now a requirement



Challenges – old and new

• Lighting in the collaborative environment

• The human interference factor

• Handling random parts



Lighting in the collaborative environment

• Homogeneous illumination over a large area?

• Handling the human


Field of View


The human interference factor• Machine vision for finding the person not the part

• Finding parts when the human is in the way

• Seeing and avoiding interference



Handling random parts• Applying existing 3D guidance techniques for collaborative applications


Applications And Future Trends

Application videos


Applications And Future Trends

• What’s next• The market is justifiably constrained by safety demands

• More machine vision capability will drive future applications

• Technology is almost “ready for prime time”


David L. DechowStaff Engineer-Intelligent Robotics/Machine Vision

FANUC America Corporation

3900 W. Hamlin Road

Rochester Hills, MI 48309

+1 (248) 276-4058

[email protected]

Contact Information

Machine Vision for Collaborative Robot Applications

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