Not too long ago, there was a extensively publicized incident the place a chess robotic system broke the finger of a seven-year-old baby at a match in Moscow. This could by no means have occurred. The robotic was not one in every of our cobots, however we do really feel compelled to remark as a result of this robotic chess software does NOT replicate regular security requirements and well-accepted practices throughout the robotics sector.
The way in which this incident was reported can distort understanding of robotics software security. An official of the Russian chess federation implied that the incident occurred as a result of the kid ‘violated’ security guidelines. That is totally unreasonable!
Robotic system integrators ought to carry out a danger evaluation
It’s globally accepted that robotic system integrator ought to carry out a danger evaluation for the supposed use and readily foreseeable misuses. If this had been finished, quite a few modifications would have been applied together with a mushy gripper as an alternative of 1 with laborious edges and the usage of security sensors solely permitting motion when nobody was close by. It was moderately foreseeable that the human chess participant could be concentrating on the sport, not their robotic opponent.
Automation security is about “making the straightforward option to work, the protected option to work”. On this case, all chess motions want to have the ability to be carried out with no particular person needing to assume “am I okay to maneuver my chess piece or will I be injured?”.
The know-how exists to stop incidents like this from occurring
Energy and power restricted (PFL) collaborative robots (cobots) would cease shifting after contact with an individual. Know-how of this kind is available. Following the appliance danger evaluation’s necessities, tens of 1000’s of cobots are working safely alongside people day-after-day. In truth, cobots are more and more utilized in training settings to show programming and the event of robotic functions.
Security requirements are established internationally and independently licensed
All respected robotic producers and integrators embrace their accountability of delivering protected merchandise and options. At Common Robots, our e-Collection robots are licensed to EN ISO 13849-1 and EN ISO 10218-1 by TÜV Nord. The cobots embrace 17 superior configurable security features licensed by TÜV Nord as PLd Cat 3. This implies they’ve configurable stopping time and stopping distance, joint place limits, pose restrict, instrument orientation restrict, security planes, security boundaries, protected dwelling, power limiting (TCP) and elbow security (power, pace, boundary restriction).
The protected deployment of cobots can convey enormous societal advantages
This chess taking part in robotic integrator displays badly upon the 1000’s of automation professionals that take security very critically. The world continues to face labor shortages. Robotics and automation can present a vital and well timed answer and also can make workplaces a lot better environments for people to work in. However these alternatives will solely be totally realized when security is a precedence in software deployment.
