Xiaopeng Zhu, Ke Zhang, and Xueming Hua
Human–robot collaboration; collision measurement; safety; result consistency; collaborative robot
Collaborative robot has the advantages of human–robot collab- oration (HRC), being cost-effective and flexible to deploy, and having wide application prospect. Operators may have expected or unexpected contact with the robot during collaboration, which brings potential risks caused by collision. Due to the complexity of collision measurement and the absence of sophisticated standards, huge controversy on what a collaborative robot is safe occurs. We first point out that there are two long-standing issues in collision measurements that cannot be completely solved in a short time. Motivated by the pressing safety needs of a fast-growing collaborative robot industry, it is now increasingly urgent to ensure consistency of collision measurements to avoid controversy. Based on the current achievements, an overall methodology for collision testing is summarised and key technical issues are identified. Influencing factors of human–robot collision measurement are first analysed systematically and discussed thoroughly. Corresponding suggestions are proposed to ensure the result consistency of collision measurement, having great practical value and broad promotion potentiality. This fills the gap between the insufficient safety standards and the urgent need of collaborative robot safety evaluation. Moreover, suggestions for standards in the future will provide strong support for collaborative robot safety.
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