Kuka Roboter Gmbh

Kuka Laboratories Gmbh

Kuka Deutschland Gmbh

Peter Heiligensetzer

Tobias Ortmaier

Alwin Berninger

Norbert Settele

Alois Buchstab

Fritz Steininger

Tobias Prof Dr-Ing Ortmaier

Peter Klüger

The invention relates to an X-ray device () for a medical workplace (). The X-ray device () comprises a robot (R) with a plurality of axes (), a control device () for controlling the axes () for movement of the robot (R), and a fastening device (), and a support device () disposed at the fastening device (), said support device comprising an X-ray radiation source () and an X-ray radiation receiver (). A 3D model () of the robot (R) and the support device () provided is stored in the control device (), said 3D model modeling the spatial extension of the robot (R) and the support device () during movement of the robot (R). The 3D model () also models the spatial extension of at least one other device (, R) of the medical workplace () and/or of a living organism () located within the medical workplace (). The control device () recognizes a potential collision of the X-ray device () with the other device (, R) and/or the living organism () based on the 3D model () and prompts the robot (R) to take action to avoid the potential collision.

X-ray device and medical workplace

In order to improve the monitoring of a machine with movable parts, such as in particular an industrial robot, and for increasing safety, the invention provides a method for monitoring movable parts of a machine, such as an industrial robot, in which at least two different measured quantities are detected and at least one of these measured quantities is processed to a first measure result in such a way that it is comparable with another measured quantity or a second measure result obtained on the basis thereof, that the first measure result is compared with another measured quantity or a measure result obtained on the basis thereof and that a signal characterizing the comparison result is provided. The invention also provides a machine with movable parts, such as in particular an industrial robot, which is characterized by at least two measuring devices for detecting different measured quantities on movable parts of the machine, a processing unit for at least one measured quantity for the processing thereof into a first measure result comparable with another measured quantity or a second measure result obtained therefrom and a comparison unit for comparing the first measure result with at least one other measured quantity or a second measure result obtained on the basis thereof.

Method for monitoring a machine and such a machine, particularly a robot

The invention relates to a safety device for apparatuses having parts freely movable in space, particularly handling equipment such as industrial robots or driverless transportation means, as well as a method for securing such apparatuses by means of such a safety device. The apparatuses have switching means which in the case of a collision of the moving parts with persons or objects emit a control signal through which the moving parts can be stopped or an emergency program can be started up, which brings about a movement sequence opposing the approach movement. The invention is characterized in that the safety device is constructed in the form of a tactile sensor system formed from optical waveguides and located on moving parts of the apparatus.

Device and method for securing apparatuses with parts freely movable in space

In order to reduce the risk of damage on external objects, material articles or persons during the operation of a robot, particularly a miniature robot, the invention provides a method for limiting the force action of a robot part, such as a robot arm, on such an external object during a collision in such a way that as a result of a maximum permitted force, maximum force F , acting on the object in the case of a collision, a corresponding, maximum permitted kinetic energy, maximum energy E of the robot part is determined, continuously and at adequately short time intervals the actual kinetic energy, actual energy E , of the robot part is determined and on exceeding the maximum permitted energy E , the actual operating speed V of the robot is reduced.

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Augsburg, Germany

Peter Heiligensetzer