Secure Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)

White paper

Status: March 2018

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White paper Secure Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)
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Exclusion of liability
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Our White paper has been compiled with great care. It contains information about our company
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and our products. All statements are made in accordance with the current status of technology
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and to the best of our knowledge and belief. While every effort has been made to ensure the
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information provided is accurate, we cannot accept liability for the accuracy and entirety of the
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information provided, except in the case of gross negligence. In particular, it should be noted
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that statements do not have the legal quality of assurances or assured properties. We are
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grateful for any feedback on the contents.
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574 pt Copyright and proprietary notices
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616 pt All rights to this publication are reserved by Pilz GmbH & Co. KG. Copies may be made for
630 pt internal purposes. The names of products, goods and technologies used are trademarks of the
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700 pt Pilz GmbH & Co. KG
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770 pt © 2018 by Pilz GmbH & Co. KG, Ostfildern,
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White paper Secure Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)
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112 pt At a glance
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168 pt For safety reasons, humans and robots have been going their physically separate ways for
182 pt years now. Today, productivity increases as well as demographic change with an increasingly
196 pt aging working population are an impetus to tap into the potential of human-robot collaboration
210 pt (HRC). If, however, humans and robots want to share a workspace, then the subject of safety is
224 pt of central importance. The requirements in relation to safety technology always depend on the
238 pt respective application. Safe robot cells only come about when everything is taken into
252 pt consideration – standards, robots, tools and workpieces as well as the associated machines
266 pt such as materials-handling technology. In practice, this means that each application requires its
280 pt own separate safety-related review.
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308 pt This white paper sets out challenges and possible solutions in the implementation of safe
322 pt human-robot collaboration in industrial settings.
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White paper Secure Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)
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112 pt Contents
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154 pt 1. Fascination with robots ........................................................................... 5
168 pt 1.1. Robots in the 20th century ..................................................................................................... 5
182 pt 1.2. Robots in the industrial environment ...................................................................................... 5
196 pt 1.3. Difference between service robots and industrial robots ....................................................... 6
210 pt 1.4. The market for industrial robots ............................................................................................. 6
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238 pt 2. From cooperation to collaboration ......................................................... 7
252 pt 2.1. Standards ............................................................................................................................... 7
266 pt 2.2. New safety requirements ....................................................................................................... 7
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294 pt 3. Sensor technology kit for safe robots .................................................... 9
308 pt 3.1. Sensors for safe access to robot cells ................................................................................... 9
322 pt 3.2. Camera-based safety for HRC ............................................................................................. 11
336 pt 3.3. Further developments in sensor technology ........................................................................ 11
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364 pt 4. Step by step for safe robot application ................................................ 12
378 pt 4.1. A risk assessment is carried out at the beginning ............................................................... 12
392 pt 4.2. The central role of validation ................................................................................................ 13
406 pt 4.3. Touching without injuring ..................................................................................................... 14
420 pt 4.4. Measurement of force and pressure in accordance with ISO/TS 15066 ............................. 14
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448 pt 5. Summary ................................................................................................. 15
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112 pt 1. Fascination with robots
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154 pt There is hardly any other machine that catches the imagination of humans as much as robots.
168 pt They are considered to be the perfection of machines due their larger degree of freedom in
182 pt terms of diversity and the scope of their activities. Robots ultimately express the human
196 pt aspiration to have machines that participate in people’s lives and assist them in every situation.
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224 pt 1.1. Robots in the 20th century
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252 pt The term “robot” itself was coined in the 20th century. It originates from the Czech term
266 pt “Robota”, which in that language stands for “forced labor” or “drudgery”. The Czech author Karel
280 pt Čapek published a play in 1921 about a company that manufactures artificial humans. This is
294 pt where the term robot was used for the first time in connection with machines.
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322 pt It also triggered an increasingly critical analysis of machines that act autonomously. The central
336 pt question was: How can the safety and security of humans and machines be ensured when
350 pt humans and machines are working closely with one another? In 1942, the Russian-American
364 pt scientist and science-fiction author Isaac Asimov described the “Laws of robotics” in a short
378 pt story. These read as follows:
392 pt 1. A robot may not injure a human being,
406 pt 2. A robot must obey,
420 pt 3. A robot must protect its own existence (unless this contravenes Law 1 or 2).
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448 pt 1.2. Robots in the industrial environment
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476 pt Industrial robots are an invention from the second half of the 20th century. The American
490 pt George Devol heralded in this era in the Fifties with his patent design for “programmed article
504 pt transfer.” In 1961, a robot, Unimate, was used for the first time at General Motors.
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532 pt To ensure that workers were protected, a strict separation of humans and machines was
546 pt enforced. The robot was supposed to replace human labor and remained housed in a cell to
560 pt complete its tasks. Separate workspaces and no direct interaction between humans and
574 pt machines: These principles remained unchanged for over 50 years. These robot applications
588 pt did not chime with the idea of humans and robots collaborating closely with one another.
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616 pt Today, robots are deployed in many different ways. They are not only to be found in the
630 pt industrial environment, but also play an increasingly important role in the areas of research and
644 pt medicine. Different robot types can be differentiated for the various application areas. In the
658 pt industrial environment, industrial robots are key to supporting humans and machines in their
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112 pt 1.3. Difference between service robots and industrial robots
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Service robots and industrial robots differ in several aspects.
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ISO 8373 defines an industrial robot as an automatically controlled, reprogrammable
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multipurpose manipulator programmable in three or more axes for use in automation technology
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either in a fixed location or arranged such that it can move. In accordance with ISO 8373, an
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industrial robot comprises the manipulator (robot arm), including drives; the controller, including
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control unit and any communication interface (hardware and software).
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In the industrial sphere, a distinction is also made between a robot system, robot cell and robot
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line:
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The system comprises the industrial robot, end effector as well as all machines, equipment,
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devices, external auxiliary axes or sensors that support robots to fulfill their tasks. A robot cell
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comprises one or more robot systems plus the associated machines and equipment, as well as
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the associated protected area and protective measures. Finally, an industrial robot line
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comprises several robot cells, including the associated machines and equipment, as well as the
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associated protected area and protective measures.
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Service robots, on the other hand, are robots that carry out useful tasks for humans or devices,
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not taking into consideration automated applications in the industrial environment. As the name
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already suggests, service robots carry out services for humans. These include, for example,
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household robots or personal mobility assistants for the private domain or delivery robots in
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offices and hospitals, and robotic firefighters.
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462 pt 1.4. The market for industrial robots
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The market for industrial robots is growing constantly: In 2015, this market achieved a record
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increase of 12% worldwide, of which 16% in Asia, 10% in Europe and 15% in North America. In
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2018, around 2.3 million robot systems will be used.
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However, experts currently estimate the market for service robots to be smaller: In 2015, only
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5% of robots sold worldwide were service robots. However, according to experts, this trend will
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also change: The expected growth rate in the years 2016 to 2022 is 60%, which means an
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increase to 3.3 billion U.S. dollars.
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112 pt 2. From cooperation to collaboration
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154 pt Closer collaboration between humans and machines is to be possible due to a new type of
168 pt robot called a cobot. The name cobot comes from combining the words “collaboration” and
182 pt “robot” and describes robots that were designed for direct interaction with humans. In human-
196 pt robot collaboration (HRC), humans and robots share a workspace. The strengths and
210 pt advantages of the machines such as reliability, endurance and repetition accuracy are therefore
224 pt combined with the strengths of humans, i.e. skill, flexibility and decision-making ability. In
238 pt human-robot collaborations such as these, the workspaces of the humans and robots overlap
252 pt spatially and temporally. Typical areas where they are deployed are “pick and place”
266 pt applications (handling between various production steps) or “follow the line” applications where
280 pt the robot must exactly execute a predefined movement path (e.g. when retracing a contour or
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322 pt 2.1. Standards
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350 pt Robots are incomplete machines within the meaning of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
364 pt Detailed safety requirements are available in the form or the two standards ISO 10218 “Safety
378 pt of Industrial Robots” Part 1: “Robots” and Part 2: “Robot systems and integration”.
392 pt These standards do not apply to robots outside of the industrial sector.
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420 pt The German versions of both parts are published as EN ISO 10218-1:2011 and EN ISO 10218-
434 pt 2:2011 and listed as harmonized C standards under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.
448 pt These international standards were drawn up taking into account the specific hazards arising
462 pt from industrial robots and industrial robot systems. Information on collaborative operation is also
476 pt to be found in Part 2 “Robot systems and integration”.
490 pt When planning a HRC application, the choice of robot is a key point for the systems integrator.
504 pt EN ISO 10218-1 also contains safe drive functions. In accordance with EN 61800-5-2
518 pt (Adjustable speed electrical power drive systems – Part 5-2: Safety requirements – Functions),
532 pt these include, for example: Safe Operating Stop (SOS), Safely-Limited Speed (SLS), Safe
546 pt Speed Range (SSR) and Safely-Limited Torque (SLT).
560 pt The requirements for “safety-related parts of the controller” (electrics, hydraulics, pneumatics
574 pt and software) are clearly defined in chapter 5.2 of EN ISO10218-2 Robot systems and
588 pt integration. The safety-related parts of the controller must be designed in such a way that they
602 pt comply with PLd in category 3 (ISO 13849-1:2006) or SIL2 with a fault tolerance and an MTTF
616 pt of at least 20 years (IEC 62061:2005).
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2.2. New safety requirements
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686 pt HRC applications are setting new requirements when it comes to safety. The main
700 pt distinguishing feature between “traditional” housed robot applications and HRC is that collisions
714 pt between machines and humans could be a real scenario. However, these must not lead to
728 pt injuries. On the one hand, more reliable controllers and intelligent, dynamic sensors on the
742 pt robot itself are prerequisites for the coexistence of humans and robots in an injury-free manner.
756 pt The robot therefore senses a collision when or before it occurs. On the other hand, reliable
770 pt safety standards must be set on a normative basis.
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112 pt In practice, however, existing standards proved to be inadequate to safely implement an actual
126 pt collaboration between humans and machines in which the respective workspaces could overlap
140 pt in terms of time and space. There was a normative gap that could only be closed off in spring
154 pt 2016 with the publication of the technical specification ISO/TS 15066 “Robots and Robotic
168 pt Devices - Collaborative industrial robots”. On the one hand, four collaboration types are now
182 pt described in more detail in the document as protection principles. On the other hand, there now
196 pt also exists detailed information on pain thresholds for various regions of the body. Like all
210 pt technical specifications, this specification is an international standard that is implemented
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252 pt HRC requires protective measures so that the safety of humans is guaranteed at all times
266 pt during the collaborative operation. For this purpose, four collaboration types are described in
280 pt greater detail in ISO/TS15066 as protection principles. Safe HRC requires, on the one hand,
294 pt robot systems that are specially designed for the respective collaboration type. Risk
308 pt minimization can be implemented by applying the collaboration types described below:
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336 pt  Safety-rate monitored stop (method 1): The human only has access to the robot when it
350 pt is at a standstill. A collision is therefore excluded.
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448 pt  Hand guiding operation (method 2): The human only has access to the robot when it is
462 pt at a standstill, the human guides the robot manually. A collision is therefore excluded.
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560 pt  Speed and separation monitoring (method 3): The human has access to the
574 pt collaborative space during operation. The human’s safety is ensured by the distance
588 pt from the robot. If the distance is too short, a safety stop is triggered. A collision is
602 pt therefore excluded.
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112 pt  Power and force limiting (method 4): In this method, the human also has access to the
126 pt collaborative space while the robot is moving. Contact between humans and robots
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266 pt When implementing safe human-robot collaboration, the systems integrator can chose one or a
280 pt combination of these “collaboration types” for his application. In practice, it is shown that
294 pt human-robot collaborations can often be efficiently implemented under ISO/TS15066 by
308 pt combining “speed and separation monitoring” with “power and force limiting”. However, if
322 pt collisions are a possible scenario, it must nevertheless be ensured that the contact does not
336 pt lead to injury.
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364 pt For the first time, the technical specifications provide detailed information in Annex A on pain
378 pt thresholds for various parts of the body. These values form the basis for being able to
392 pt implement an application without a safety fence, i.e. one that follows method 4.
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420 pt As a member of this international standards body, Pilz has actively collaborated with robot
434 pt manufacturers, integrators, notified bodies (such as BG) and other automation companies on
448 pt the design of this pioneering technical specification for human-machine collaboration in the
462 pt industrial environment..
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490 pt However, there are definitely robot applications that will continue to need a safety fence. This is
504 pt the case, for example, when there are very pointed or sharp-edged tools or workpieces or when
518 pt high forces and speeds are required for the process.
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588 pt 3. Sensor technology kit for safe robots
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630 pt Safe sensor technology plays a key role in the technical implementation of robot applications: A
644 pt sensor kit is necessary to meet the safety requirements for all applications.
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686 pt 3.1. Sensors for safe access to robot cells
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714 pt When humans and robots share a common workspace, efforts are made to support the safety
728 pt of the application using safety components and functions in or on the robot. For example, safe
742 pt movement functions in the robot are combined with near-field sensors, with integrated torque
756 pt monitoring in the robot or with a tactile sensor technology that envelops the robot. While tactile
770 pt sensors register contact, capacitive, i.e. contactless, sensors, can detect a collision before it
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112 pt occurs. The movements for this type of robot application are generally significantly slower than
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154 pt If human intervention in the production process is generally not necessary or is not desirable,
168 pt machines and systems are surrounded by protective devices that mechanically separate them
182 pt off. For robot cells of this type, it generally applies that they must only be entered for service
196 pt purposes. Safety gates are suitable for this access and they, in turn, must be secured with
210 pt safety gate sensors: If a safety gate is opened, the sensor detects this and generates a
224 pt shutdown signal for safe machine control.
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252 pt Various actuation principles and designs are used, depending on the requirements, installation
266 pt situation and applicable basic conditions: Contactless safety magnetic sensors are a very
280 pt economical solution for concealed installation while safety RFID-based sensors, such as the
294 pt PSENcode safety switch, allow maximum freedom during mounting and the highest degree of
308 pt manipulation protection.
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336 pt If, due to space constraints, protective devices must be placed near a hazardous movement,
350 pt there is a risk of hazardous overrun. In this case, it is absolutely necessary to use a safety
364 pt locking device. Mechanical locking devices with spring locking such as PSENmech or integrated
378 pt safety gate systems such as PSENsgate, PSENmlock and PSENslock carry out these tasks.
392 pt There are numerous device variants available for all of these technical sensor principles, which
406 pt means that virtually all conceivable monitoring scenarios can be achieved.
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434 pt In the area of robot-supported automotive body shell assembly, PSENcode safety switches from
448 pt Pilz are used, for example; these can monitor up to three positions with just one sensor. These
462 pt are used at the interfaces between humans and robots where manual interventions are
476 pt necessary, e.g. feeding and removing sheet metal parts to and from the robot cells enclosed in
490 pt protective grids.
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518 pt For robot applications where, for example, human monitoring, the insertion of parts or rework by
532 pt humans is necessary, contactless protective devices such as safety light curtains are also used
546 pt for access protection. In addition, it may be necessary to install rear area protection in the form
560 pt of horizontally installed safety light curtains or a safety laser scanner. In some cases, safety
574 pt mats are the preferred choice, if, for example, there are availability problems with the optical
588 pt systems due to procedural conditions such as dust, fumes, mist or vapor.
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112 pt 3.2. Camera-based safety for HRC
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For human-robot collaborations with robots with a larger load capacity, traditional safety
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concepts based on separating protective devices are, as already mentioned, reaching their
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limits – others are required. For these, a considerably more differentiated consideration of
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events is necessary. For example, a distinction must be made as to whether a human can stay
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in the potential action area of a hazardous movement (warning zone) or can already access a
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zone with increased safety requirements (protected zone). Ideally, it must be possible to
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dynamically adjust these zones and, for example, to track the safety monitored movements of
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the machine or robot. In this environment, human-robot collaborations can be achieved where
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static protective devices are reaching their limits.
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New camera-based methods are capable of securely monitoring protected fields and zones in a
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multi-dimensional manner, such as, is achieved, for example, with the SafetyEYE 3D camera
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system. Due to their 3D operating principle, sensor systems such as these are opening up new
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possibilities in application design. In addition, protected zone requirements can be adjusted at
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each process step.
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Further developments in this area are contingent on the requirements of the upcoming
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applications: a combination of a safe robot with a safe 3D camera system with more intensive
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communication can merge and optimize various process steps that are currently strictly
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separated from one another. The safe robot knows its safe position, its safe speed and its safe
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direction of movement, the safe camera system knows the position of objects (people) in the
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vicinity of the robot’s operating radius. Instead of abruptly switching off, the entire system can
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respond in a considerably more flexible manner, avoid unnecessary downtime and thus
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increase the productivity of the system. In the event of a violation of the protected zone, the
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robot does not have to undergo a hard stop immediately. Or to phrase it in another way: If there
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is no human in the robot’s operating radius, the working speed of the robot, and thus the
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productivity of the process, is increased thanks to SafetyEYE.
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532 pt 3.3. Further developments in sensor technology
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Sensor technology will continue to play a key role in making robot applications safe. Pilz is
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involved in shaping the future with its comprehensive research and development activities.
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A pressure-sensitive mat that was developed based on tactile fabric developed by Pilz is
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available for safety and control tasks in robotics. This tactile sensor system is based on
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technology developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation (IFF).
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The sensitive layer is located on the inside. It is therefore possible to integrate spatial resolution
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into the mat itself. This tactile sensor technology provides support for the visualization and
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location identification of people and is a very promising method of bringing more dynamism into
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HRC. The system is being further developed such that the direction of movement of objects and
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people can be displayed thanks to spatial resolution.
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The pressure-sensitive mat detects the position and direction of movement of the person and
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transmits the data to the robot controller to avoid unwanted collisions between humans and
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machines. In addition, the position of the human is displayed as a heatmap on a monitor.
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112 pt Furthermore, Pilz is presenting two compact stereo cameras (that it developed in-house) at
126 pt trade shows. These are the results of the research projects Konkamis and Insero3D in which
140 pt Pilz is active as a project partner. The cameras enable detection of obstacles in real time so as
154 pt to avoid collisions between humans and robots. For the controller, Pilz developed software
168 pt modules for the dynamic detection of obstacles, which works on the basis of the Robot-
182 pt Operating-System (ROS).
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210 pt The cameras are mounted on the control panel with a view of the robot application. Data is
224 pt transmitted to the robot controller via a ROS node for path planning purposes. Robots can thus
238 pt transport workpieces flexibly and avoid both static and moving obstacles.
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266 pt Pilz is thus demonstrating that the programming environment that is familiar to date from the
280 pt research environment can also be used in industrial applications.
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350 pt 4. Step by step for safe robot application
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392 pt 4.1. A risk assessment is carried out at the beginning
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It must be taken into account that, in accordance with the Machinery Directive, the robot of itself
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is only an incomplete machine; it is only be means of grabs or the tool necessary for the
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respective application that the robot receives a specific purpose and must be considered a
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complete machine. The integrator or user thus becomes the manufacturer of the machine and is
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responsible for CE marking, including safety inspection.
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Corresponding guiding principles for risk assessment and mitigation are defined in EN ISO
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12100 Safety of machinery. The iterative process is crucial for risk assessment. This is divided
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into the steps of risk analysis and risk evaluation. Risk assessment involves determining the
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applicable harmonized standards and regulations, determining the limits of the machine,
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determining all of the risks within each life phase of the machine, the actual risk appraisal and
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assessment and the recommended approach to reduce the risk. For the risk assessment, it is
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important that each hazardous area is considered individually and without protective measures.
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The challenge for robot applications without safety fences is that the boundaries between the
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working spaces of humans and machines are disappearing. In addition to the hazards posed by
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robots, the movements of humans must also be taken into consideration. However, these
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cannot always be calculated with regard to speed, reflexes or the sudden entry of additional
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people.
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112 pt 4.2. The central role of validation
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The safety concept and system integration are developed in a customized way based on the
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risk assessment. The previous steps are reflected once again in the subsequent validation. In
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contrast to risk assessment, each hazardous area is taken into account with protective
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measures in validation. For this, the robot application must be in a state such that it is ready for
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delivery.
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In accordance with the standard, various methods must be applied for the validation, including
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visual checks, practical tests and measurements. Validation includes, among other things, the
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verification of the required performance level PLr, a fault simulation (2-channel triggering, cross-
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fault, etc.), overrun traverse measuring if the HRC application is to be made safe using speed
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and separation monitoring, checking of the checklist in Annex G to EN ISO 10218-2 as well as
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collision measurement in the event of the use of the power and force limiting method. The
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systems integrator must validate over 200 points in total.
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As a solution provider, Pilz provides supports for the implementation of relevant standards and
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directives. Jointly with the customer, the experts at Pilz work out a globally optimum safety
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strategy for robot applications along the life phases of the robot system through to CE marking.
364 pt
The training course with up-to-date and practical content rounds off the offer.
378 pt
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White paper Secure Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)
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112 pt 4.3. Touching without injuring
126 pt
Collisions can be mitigated in various ways: Through design measures such as the rounding of
140 pt
edges and corners, cushioning or contact surfaces that are as large as possible so as to
154 pt
distribute the force over the area. Technical protective measures can also be used (e.g.
168 pt
reduction of the speed of the robot movements as well as adjustments to the robot path so as to
182 pt
avoid collisions with particularly sensitive parts of the body). Employee training can also help to
196 pt
reduce the risk of injury.
210 pt
224 pt
Finally, it must be determined by means of a measuring method whether the possible collisions
238 pt
are harmless from a technical safety perspective. A body model with 29 specific body areas
252 pt
divided into 12 body regions is provided in Annex A to technical specification ISO/TS 15066.
266 pt
The body zone model makes a specification regarding the respective exposure limits in terms of
280 pt
force and pressure for each part of the body (e.g. the head, hand, arm, or leg). The region of the
294 pt
body with the lowest permissible collision values is the face. A maximum force of 65 N and a
308 pt
pressure of 110 N/cm2 may be exerted here. If the application stays within these limits when
322 pt
there is an encounter between a human and a robot, then it is in compliance with the standards.
336 pt
350 pt
364 pt 4.4. Measurement of force and pressure in accordance with ISO/TS 15066
378 pt
As for all measurement methods, these types of measurements must be comprehensible,
392 pt
traceable and reproducible. Pilz therefore developed the HRC collision measurement set for this
406 pt
special force and pressure measurement.
420 pt
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The system, which is equipped with springs and corresponding sensor technology, measures
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the forces exerted on the human body exactly and compares these with the limit values in
644 pt
accordance with ISO/TS 15066. The measuring device for this is installed at the positions
658 pt
determined during the risk assessment, between the robot arm and a stiff, inflexible base. This
672 pt
simulates virtually static contact, e.g. a worker being crushed between the robot and the
686 pt
system. The measurement is then started via software and the data is then processed and
700 pt
documented. If the limit values are exceeded, the speed of the robot must be reduced or
714 pt
additional safety measures such as light grids or a separating protective device (guard) must be
728 pt
installed.
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14 pt
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White paper Secure Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC)
70 pt
84 pt
98 pt
112 pt Besides the measuring device, slides, scanner and compression elements, the set also contains
126 pt various springs that can be used to simulate the various area of the body. Pilz rents out the set,
140 pt which also includes training, maintenance, calibration and regular updates.
154 pt
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196 pt 5. Summary
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238 pt To date, at least, there is no one safe robot or one safe sensor technology that covers all
252 pt possible scenarios from the applications in terms of safety. The requirements in relation to the
266 pt safety technology always depend on the respective application. Safe robot cells only come
280 pt about when everything is taken into consideration – robots, tools and workpieces as well as the
294 pt associated machines such as materials-handling technology. In practice, this means that each
308 pt application requires its own separate, in-depth safety-related review. The safe HRC application
322 pt is therefore ultimately the result of the interaction of normative basic conditions, a complex risk
336 pt assessment that is based on this, the selection of a robot with the corresponding safety
350 pt functions, the selection of suitable additional safety components and, finally, validation.
364 pt
378 pt
392 pt
406 pt
420 pt
434 pt
448 pt
462 pt
476 pt
490 pt
504 pt
518 pt
532 pt
546 pt
560 pt
574 pt
588 pt
602 pt
616 pt
630 pt
644 pt
658 pt
672 pt
686 pt
700 pt
714 pt
728 pt
742 pt
756 pt
770 pt We are represented internationally. Please refer to our homepage www.pilz.com
784 pt for further details or contact our headquarters.

798 pt Headquarters: Pilz GmbH & Co. KG, Felix-Wankel-Straße 2, 73760 Ostfildern, Germany
812 pt Telephone: +49 711 3409-0, Telefax: +49 711 3409-133, E-Mail: info@pilz.com, Internet: www.pilz.com

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