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A matrix-based approach to step-wise assess the safety of collaborative robots in manufacturing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2024

Matthias R. Guertler*
Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney, Australia Australian Cobotics Centre, Australia
Philipp Bauer
Affiliation:
University of Technology Sydney, Australia Australian Cobotics Centre, Australia
Alan Burden
Affiliation:
Queensland University of Technology, Australia Australian Cobotics Centre, Australia

Abstract

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Collaborative robots (cobots) allow for flexible manufacturing, supporting more customised product designs. Although safety is key for socio-technical human-cobot workplaces, existing safety assessment support like standards and guidelines require extensive experience and can be experienced as overwhelming. To make cobot risk assessments more accessible, especially for novices, and increase traceability from hazard to risk to mitigation, this paper presents a matrix-based approach that decomposes this daunting activity into smaller better manageable steps.

Type
Systems Engineering and Design
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2024.

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