Developed by a team of German researchers, it is a system that wraps around the mechanical arm, inflating when the robot moves
One of the main pillars on which Industry 4.0 rests is automation, which in the future will rely on intelligent collaborative robots that are less risky for humans. A group of German researchers, for example, has developed a system that further improves robot safety.
The credit goes to scientists at the DLR Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, who were able to develop robot airbags. It is a kind of inflatable protective membrane that wraps around the robot’s mechanical arm. The air bag is activated when the machine performs actions that are dangerous to the person’s safety. Safety is becoming an imperative for robot manufacturers and companies alike. On the one hand, in fact, there is the need to provide companies with a device capable of performing many functions quickly and autonomously. On the other, there is the need to protect employee safety.
How it works
The technology adds to recent efforts to improve human-machine collaboration on the factory floor. German researchers began refining the system in 2016, and it’s now well underway. The airbag covers the arm, as seen, and inflates when the robot is in motion. That way, in the event of an accident, the protective bag prevents the manipulator from violently hitting the employee. The air membrane, then, acts as a buffer, interposing itself between the metal and dangerous part of the robot and the human.
Safer Robots
The air bags inflate, as the arm moves, and deflate when the robot is operational, such as in cases where it has to pick up objects. The air bag appears to be very safe indeed, effectively cushioning the force of the mechanical arm.