Safety of Industrial Applications with Sensitive Mobile Manipulators – Hazards and Related Safety Measures

Abstract

The areas of application of robot systems are gradually expanding and mobile manipulation is an important and consistent further development for industrial applications. Although human-robot interaction with these systems becomes easier, the mechatronic design, the integration and safety regarding real applications remain challenging. This paper describes identified dangers and possible hazards of industrial mobile robot systems and sensitive mobile manipulators. Based on a study of advanced sensor technologies and safety concepts, solutions and measures for risk reduction are proposed to counteract these risks. As a key element in mobile robotics, common drive architectures are evaluated with regard to their impact on the general application safety.