The Botfellows – Dr.-Ing. Mohamad Bdiwi (CEO), Sebastian Krusche, Paul Eichler and Jayanto Halim – have been a close-knit team at Fraunhofer IWU for many years. The team relies on high-tech solutions in which flexible – dynamically changing, i.e. situationally optimal – safety zones replace rigidly demarcated work areas: The Botfellows software dynamically adjusts the movement of lightweight or industrial robots by only reducing their speed – to a standstill if necessary – when people are actually approaching the work area. If the interaction of sensors and cameras detects that there is no risk of collision, the robot or robots work in the intended motion paths and at the regular speed. The Botfellows’ research results on safe teamwork between humans and robots have passed numerous practical tests; their software solution has now been integrated into a manufacturer’s robot controller for the first time.
Seamless integration into the robot controller
The robotics specialists from Chemnitz are cooperating with the Chinese manufacturer Estun. Botfellow’s Dynamic Safety is integrated directly, i.e. without additional interfaces. Simple implementation and operation was an important development goal: “This is the key to highly flexible automation and ensuring maximum safety – because our software fits perfectly into the robot controller instead of increasing its complexity,” emphasizes Bdiwi.
Human-robot collaboration (HRC) in palletizing combines the strengths of humans and robots for more efficient and flexible processes
The Botfellows solution enables various scenarios to be implemented in a shared workspace without separating safety fences:
- Coexistence: humans and robots work in parallel in a shared workspace without the need for a safety fence. The robot performs automated palletizing tasks, such as stacking and sorting cartons, while the human performs quality checks or replenishes material nearby.
- Cooperation: Humans and robots share the same work area and alternate palletizing tasks. The robot stacks heavy cartons on the pallet, while the human adds smaller, delicate products and ensures the stability of the pallet. This enables flexible adaptation to different product types.
- Collaboration: humans and robots work simultaneously in the same work area and complement each other directly. The robot lifts and passes heavy or unwieldy boxes while the human precisely positions them on the pallet, fills in gaps and checks the final alignment. This form of collaboration increases the efficiency and ergonomics of the palletizing process.
In a nutshell: the benefits of Botfellow’s Dynamic Safety
- Reduced costs: The elimination of physical safety fences significantly reduces investment and maintenance costs, as well as space requirements.
- Maximum flexibility: Production layouts can be adapted quickly and easily without the need to move safety barriers.
- Increased productivity: Dynamic adjustment of safety zones enables fast, safe operation of robots in close proximity to people.
Botfellows and Estun will continue to drive integration solutions forward – as the basis for even more user-friendly control solutions aimed at safe and flexible robotics applications.
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Further links
👉 www.iwu.fraunhofer.de
Photo: Botfellows
