A Context-Aware Safety System for Human-Robot Collaboration

Abstract

Recent advancements in human-robot collaboration have enabled humans and robots to work together in shared manufacturing environment. However, there still exist needs for a context-aware safety system that not only assures human safety but also provides system efficiency. In this paper, the authors present a context-aware safety system that provides safety and efficiency at the same time. The system can plan robotic paths that avoid colliding with humans while still reach target positions in time. Human poses can also be recognised by the system to further increase system efficiency. Different modules, algorithms, and interfaces are introduced in the paper to support the context-aware safety system for human-robot collaboration. A test case is demonstrated to validate the performance of the system. Finally, a summary and future research directions are given.