A Study of Main Safety-Related Functions Available to Collaborative Robotics

Significant developments in robotics and protective device technologies have benefited the field of work equipment. As a result, a new type of machine has appeared in industry: collaborative robots, or “cobots”. Standard EN ISO 10218:2011 respecting industrial robots reflects these developments and specifies requirements for the safe integration of cobots into workstations. Under certain conditions, the operator can enter into the cobot workspace of such a workstation during production, which can be hazardous to the operator’s safety. The proximity of the cobot to the operator creates new risks not associated with conventional robotic cells. Robot manufacturers offer technical solutions to the problems of ensuring safe human-cobot collaboration in the form of electronic boards or software modules. With these solutions, appropriate safety-related functions can be implemented to reduce the risks stemming from the operator and the cobot sharing the same workspace. This paper presents a theoretical study that consisted in identifying and analysing the main safety-related functions offered by three cobot manufacturers. Generic families of safety-related functions are identified and recommendations are made to help cobot users and integrators ensure the safety and health of operators.