What are collaborative robots?

Anyone who has seen the movie Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr., remember Tony's mechanical arm "Benben"? It can only talk to the protagonist, but also help him make Iron Man's uniform. This robot that seems to exist only in science fiction movies , if I tell you that there is a similar robot in the real world, would you be surprised? Yes, this is what we are going to talk about today——Collaborative robots .

In order to confirm the safety methods of human-robot collaborative applications, the world standardization organization ISO/TC 184/SC2 WG3 was commissioned to compile the ISO/TS 15066 technical specification "Robots robotic devices - Collaborative industrial robots ". Therefore, to become a collaborative robot, it is necessary to meet the safety requirements of ISO/TS 15066.

The first is safety-level monitoring. When someone enters the test area, the robot must stop working. The second is manual guidance. The collaborative robot can only work according to the contact force of the operator. The last is speed separation monitoring. The robot can only work when there is a certain distance between it the person. The fourth is that power power are restricted by the controller built-in design. When a contact accident occurs, the robot must reduce the output power to avoid the accident. The collaborative robot needs to meet at least one of the above, when the robot is in operation, there must be a status indication. Only when these requirements are met can it be called a collaborative robot. All of these requirements are related to safety performance. It can be seen that safety is the most important point for collaborative robots .

So, why do we use collaborative robots? What are the advantages of collaborative robots? 

1. Reduce costs. Since there is no need to install safety guardrails, it can be placed anywhere in the factory the position can be adjusted at will.

2. Simple debugging: No professional knowledge is required, teaching can be performed by simply moving the robot's body.

3. Reduce safety incidents. Compared with industrial robots, collaborative robots are easier to control.

these are all determined by their structural characteristics.

The first is its torque sensors. The collaborative robot has six torque sensors that detect bumps ensure safety, make the robot's movements more precise.

The second is the installation position of the servo drive module. The servo drive module controls the mobile robot through electric current. The servo drive module of the industrial robot is generally installed next to the control cabinet, while the collaborative robot is installed at each of its joints. By performing two-level calculations on the robot's position value, the collaborative robot is more accurate safer than the industrial robot.