"I will return."
This is probably the most famous sentence spoken by robots. At the same time, it may not be the best way to sell robots, because the Terminator can do anything, but behaves like a friendly human. Fortunately, the "Terminator" is just a science fiction novel, and Arnie has saved humanity in the second film. But let's move from entertainment to the topic and see how humans benefit from interactions with different types of robots involved in factory automation and still feel safe when working with them. After all, according to the International Robotics Federation , by 2018, about 1.3 million industrial robots will be introduced to factories around the world, with the highest proportion of European factories.
The industry considers industrial robots in five areas:
Industrial robot category
Before introducing an example of human-computer interaction, let's look at the first three robots used today in factory automation.
Industrial robots handle tasks such as welding, palletizing and lifting. They are fixed to the floor, ceiling or wall. A control unit located inside the control cabinet controls the robot. An example of the interaction between an industrial robot and a person is as follows: After the industrial robot completes the work step on the product, the human begins to pick up the product and thus needs to enter the working area of ​​the robot.
The logistics robot is used in a warehouse where the robot picks up the goods and takes them to the packing station, or the robot transports the goods from one building where the company is located to another building. These robots move in specific environments and require a large number of sensors for positioning and mapping as well as sensors for preventing collisions.
Collaborative robots are designed to interact directly with humans. The difference with industrial robots is that robots and humans work on the same object at the same time. One example is that the collaborative robot holds the object above the operator's workbench so that it can move and arbitrarily rotate the object for visual inspection and perform fine-tuning tasks as necessary. Collaborative robots are usually fixed on a table and controlled by a control unit like an industrial robot.
Human-computer interaction challenge
Since humans usually stay around robots, the big question of human-computer interaction is how to maintain the security of this interaction for us humans. How to prevent collisions or accidents while working side by side? The challenges of each robot type can be quite different.
Industrial robots are designed to perform tasks quickly and accurately. The motor inside the robot arm receives the signal and executes it. Typically, robotic arms do not have features for sensing their environment. It simply executes the command and moves to the programming position, regardless of whether an object exists on the way. Therefore, in order to prevent accidents, industrial robots usually operate in a protected environment. A common setting is to place a grating around the robot arm. The output of the grating is connected to a control cabinet that will detect if the grating passes through and closes the robot arm. Another option is to place a fence around the robot arm and monitor the lock on the fence door.
Logistics robots typically operate in environments where humans may be in their surroundings. Therefore, the robot not only requires sensors for positioning and mapping, but also sensors for detecting people. Sensing techniques such as ultrasound, infrared or LIDAR can be used. In addition to the sensors used to prevent collisions, a backup sensor is required. If the robot hits an object, the internal switch of the robot opens and closes the robot until the operator enters the operating mode again. This is necessary to ensure that the robot stops to prevent malfunction inside the electronic sensor.
The most complex interactions occur between humans and collaborative robots. It must be ensured that the integrated sensor in the robot arm immediately shuts down the robot in the event of a collision between the robot arm and a person or any object. If a sensor or a subsequent electronic circuit fails, the robot will also shut down. Therefore, robot manufacturers must implement redundancy in the robot system to quickly detect and prevent any possible collisions.
I hope this blog can end your anxiety about human-computer interaction and support the rise of robots. If you want to learn more about robots in factory automation, just wait because "I will come back.
FRANKA demonstration at electronica in Munich, Germany
TI presented the FRANKA EMIKA industrial robot arm at the Munich Electronics Show in Germany, demonstrating that future robots will undertake simpler tasks performed by business people, but this is in an industrial environment. Here, you can watch a YouTube video of a robot using TI integrated circuits at electronica, and another video of Greg Peake showing the robot arm:
other information
Stay up-to-date on TI 's videos, blog posts, and news about electronics.
Learn more about TI and industrial robotics and automation machinery.
Do you want to add 3D transit time to the robot? This video will focus on ToF 3D sensors that enable industrial robots to navigate autonomously and avoid collisions .
Start using these TI reference designs:
Multi-Protocol Industrial Ethernet Inspection with PRU-ICSS for industrial automation reference designs.
Real-time Ethernet tracker reference design with PRU-ICSS.
Multi-Protocol Digital Position Encoder Main Interface Reference Design and AM437x on PRU-ICSS.
EtherCAT(R) master reference design for Sitara AM57x processor Gb Ethernet and PRU-ICSS.
Check out the latest content in Industry 4.0 .
Solar-powered pumps run on electricity generated by photovoltaic (PV) panels or the radiated thermal energy available from collected sunlight as opposed to grid electricity- or diesel-run water pumps.Generally, solar-powered pumps consist of a Solar Panel array, solar charge Controller, DC water pump, fuse box/breakers, electrical wiring, and a water storage tank.The operation of solar-powered pumps is more economical mainly due to the lower operation and maintenance costs and has less environmental impact than pumps powered by an internal combustion engine. Solar pumps are useful where grid electricity is unavailable or impractical, and alternative sources (in particular wind) do not provide sufficient energy.
Solar Water Pump,Solar Heat Pump,Solar Air Pump,Solar Powered Pump
NANTONG RONGCHANG IMPORT&EXPORT CO.,LTD , https://www.ergsolarcn.com