Cobot Design and Safety Standards
Collaborative robots, or cobots, are designed to work alongside humans in shared workspaces. This requires a fundamentally different approach to design and a rigorous adherence to safety standards to ensure the well-being of human operators.
Key Design Principles for Cobots
Cobot design prioritizes inherent safety features, often referred to as 'safety by design'. This includes features that minimize the potential for harm during operation.
Cobots are designed with inherent safety features.
Cobots incorporate rounded edges, force and speed limiting, and lightweight construction to reduce the risk of injury during accidental contact.
Unlike traditional industrial robots that are caged for isolation, cobots are built with features that allow for direct human interaction. These include:
- Rounded Edges and Smooth Surfaces: Eliminates sharp points that could cause lacerations.
- Force and Speed Limiting: Sensors detect unexpected forces and automatically stop or slow the robot's movement.
- Lightweight Construction: Reduces the inertia and potential impact force.
- Collision Detection: Advanced algorithms and sensors can detect impending collisions with humans or objects and react accordingly.
- Intuitive Programming: Simplified interfaces allow operators to easily teach tasks without extensive coding knowledge, reducing the likelihood of programming errors that could lead to unsafe operations.
Essential Safety Standards
Adherence to international safety standards is paramount for cobot deployment. These standards provide a framework for designing, implementing, and operating robotic systems safely.
| Standard | Focus | Key Aspects |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 10218-1 & 10218-2 | Robots and robotic devices | General safety requirements for industrial robots, including collaborative operation. |
| ISO/TS 15066 | Collaborative robots | Specific requirements for collaborative robot systems, including power and force limiting, safety-rated monitored stop, and hand guiding. |
| ANSI/RIA R15.06 | Industrial robot safety (US) | US equivalent of ISO 10218, covering safety requirements for industrial robots and robot systems. |
ISO/TS 15066 is the critical standard that defines the specific requirements for collaborative robot operation, building upon the general safety principles of ISO 10218.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Even with inherent safety features, a thorough risk assessment is crucial before deploying any cobot. This process identifies potential hazards and implements appropriate mitigation strategies.
To define specific safety requirements for collaborative robot systems and their operation alongside humans.
Risk assessment involves analyzing the entire application, including the robot's task, environment, and human interaction points. Mitigation can involve adjusting speed, limiting force, adding external safety sensors, or modifying the workspace layout.
The diagram illustrates the core safety principles of cobots: inherent safety features like force/speed limiting, and external safety measures like safety-rated sensors and workspace design. The interplay between these elements ensures a safe human-robot collaboration.
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Learning Resources
The foundational international standard for the safety of industrial robots, including requirements applicable to collaborative operation.
This standard covers the safety requirements for robot systems and their integration into manufacturing processes, crucial for cobot applications.
The key technical specification detailing the safety requirements for collaborative robot systems, including specific guidance on power and force limiting.
The primary US standard for industrial robot safety, harmonized with ISO 10218, providing essential safety guidelines for cobot integration in North America.
A practical explanation of the ISO/TS 15066 standard, detailing its implications for cobot design and safe operation.
This blog post offers insights into the practical aspects of ensuring safety when working with collaborative robots in industrial settings.
An introductory video explaining what cobots are, their benefits, and the fundamental safety considerations involved in their use.
A video demonstrating and explaining the various safety features built into collaborative robots.
ABB provides an overview of their approach to cobot safety, highlighting key design principles and adherence to standards.
An article discussing the paradigm shift in industrial safety brought about by collaborative robots and the standards that govern them.