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Industrial robots with radar-based environment detection

Following the successful completion of NetGuard6P, another research project aiming to promote industrial robot sensors has been launched: RoboMove 3D.

Donnersdorf (Germany), 02/03/2021. 01/01/2021 marked the start of a new research project for the further development of sensor technology in the field of robotics. The “RoboMove3D” project is scheduled to take three years. Through 1.72 million euros of funding by the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development and Energy, the joint undertaking is intended to accelerate the process of innovation and market maturity process for the environmental sensor technology of industrial robots. The project is an initiative by the Strategie Bayern Digital funding program.

 

RoboMove3D builds upon the results of a funding project completed in 2018 and called Netguard6P. The aim was to develop a highly networked and three-dimensional environment detection system that enables the precise positioning and protection of moving machine parts. The reliability of the sensors was a high priority, since this is a prerequisite for future use in the interaction between humans and machines. As a network partner, InnoSenT GmbH coordinated the project work and contributed its expertise in radar development. After three years of collaboration, the four companies and institutions involved achieved the ambitious goals and presented the advanced prototype for the monitoring of industrial robots’ environments.

 

The potential of the resulting development is enormous in terms of its broad variety of future applications in the field of robotics. The upcoming tasks and requirements for robot sensors are growing in step with technological progress. The NetGuard6P project is the ideal starting point for further pursuing research work for Industry 4.0 and overcoming current challenges.

The RoboMove3D follow-up project thus aims to specify the performance and functionality of the networked radar module for high-precision distance measurement and obstacle detection. This is an important condition for to ensure safe interaction between humans and machines in future smart factories and to pave the way for the use of intelligent and autonomous machines.

The project is meant to develop a highly integrated radar system with intelligent 3D detection of the environment and near-range monitoring, which will provide reliable detection in a dynamic field of application. The challenge is to ensure safe, automated execution of the machine’s work steps while the robot arm is moving in the event of sudden changes in the environment. The system must promptly and correctly detect impending collisions between pieces of equipment and workers or obstacles to enable a reaction such as an evasive manoeuvre or emergency stop. In order to implement the environmental characterisation to control and protect industrial robots, state-of-the-art technologies and machine learning methods are meant to be used.

 

The funding project has enabled close cooperation with the robotics company KUKA Deutschland GmbH, which is also providing the robot arm, in order to carry out the practical testing phase. The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Microsystems and Solid State Technologies (EMFT) is also involved in the development as a research organisation for sensors and actuators. The company InnoSenT is contributing the necessary radar expertise in order to develop the system and algorithms. The research project is expected to be completed in December 2023.

 


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About InnoSenT

InnoSenT GmbH from Donnersdorf was founded in 1999 and is one of the world's leading companies in the field of radar technology. As a manufacturer and developer, the company supplies the full bandwidth of engineering services - from customer-specific development to series production. Thanks to the strong focus on quality and innovation, InnoSenT GmbH has been following a course to global success for many years.