A system, in particular a manufacturing system, the system including machines, especially stationary and mobile machines, and at least one vehicle and a control, the vehicle having at least one sensor for ascertaining the relative position of a person, in particular a sensor for ascertaining the distance between the vehicle and the person, and for ascertaining the angle between the driving direction of the vehicle and the connecting line between the person and the vehicle, the vehicle having a position acquisition means for sensing the position of the vehicle, in particular a GPS system or a triangulation system for ascertaining the position of the vehicle, the control including a means for ascertaining the safety zone around the person and the machines situated therein, a data transmission channel being provided between the control and the machines.

An apparatus is described for energy-efficient execution of a safety function used for safeguarding a technical installation. A safety device detects a triggering event of the safety function, and a processing unit executes a safety-related reaction of the safety function based on the detection by the safety device. The apparatus is selectively operable in a first operating mode and a second operating mode. In the first operating mode, the safety device and the processing unit operate according to a first quality level, and, in the second operating mode, at least one of the safety device and the processing unit operates according to a second quality level. The second quality level is lower than the first quality level and at least one of (a) the safety device and (b) the processing unit is operable with a reduced capacity in the second operating mode to save energy.

A control unit includes: a memory; a computation control part; and an input and output unit for connecting the computation control part to a device of an (FA) system. A system program includes a data refresh program for executing a data refresh of data of the device and the control data of the memory via the input and output unit. If the computation control part receives a change of a control program, the computation control part stops executing the control program. The computation control part executes the change of the control program while executing a part of the system program including the data refresh, and resumes executing the control program.

Provided are systems and methods for integrated control and safety systems (ICSSs) that employ intelligent personal protective equipment (PPE). In some embodiments, an industrial plant system includes an industrial safety system (ISS) for monitoring a safety status of an industrial plant and one or more intelligent PPE systems worn by personnel located in the industrial plant. Each of the intelligent PPE systems includes one or more intelligent PPE devices for sensing personal and environmental characteristics of a person wearing the intelligent PPE system, and transmits safety data corresponding to the personal and environmental characteristics sensed. The ISS collects the safety data, determines (based on the safety data) whether a safety incident has occurred and, in response to determining that a safety incident has occurred, executes a response to the safety incident.

Systems and methods for determining safe and unsafe zones in a workspacewhere safe actions are calculated in real time based on all relevant objects (e.g., some observed by sensors and others computationally generated based on analysis of the sensed workspace) and on the current state of the machinery (e.g., a robot) in the workspacemay utilize a variety of workspace-monitoring approaches as well as dynamic modeling of the robot geometry. The future trajectory of the robot(s) and/or the human(s) may be forecast using, e.g., a model of human movement and other forms of control. Modeling and forecasting of the robot may, in some embodiments, make use of data provided by the robot controller that may or may not include safety guarantees.

Control systems for industrial machinery (e.g., robots) or other devices such as medical devices utilize a safety processor (SP) designed for integration into safety applications and computational components that are not necessarily safety-rated. The SP monitors performance of the non-safety computational components, including latency checks and verification of identical outputs. One or more sensors send data to the non-safety computational components for sophisticated processing and analysis that the SP cannot not perform, but the results of this processing are sent to the SP, which then generates safety-rated signals to the machinery or device being controlled by the SP. As a result, the system may qualify for a safety rating despite the ability to perform complex operations beyond the scope of safety-rated components.

A detection and tracking system and method using a camera unit on a robot, or alternatively a camera mounted inside the pool overlooking the bottom of the pool, for safety monitoring for use in and around water-related environments. The robot is able to propel itself and move throughout the body of water, both on the surface and underwater, and the camera unit functions both on the surface and underwater. The robot optimizes the cleaning cycle of the body of water utilizing deep learning techniques. The robot has localization sensors and software that allow the robot to be aware of the robot's position in the pool. The camera is able to send its video feed live over the internet, the processing is performed in the cloud, and the robot sends and receives data from the cloud. The processing utilizes deep learning algorithms, including artificial neural networks, that perform video analytics. The robot acts as a game platform such that the camera unit on the robot facilitates augmented reality games. The user of those games is not in the pool, but instead is using a mobile device outside the pool. The game on the mobile device constantly receives and sends data to the cloud, and the robot constantly sends and receives data to the cloud, such that the game involves creatures and locations throughout the pool that are not physically present, but are visible to the user on the mobile device. The data the robot sends to the cloud is based on the robot's sensors and software, and this data is used as part of the game to display creatures and other aspects of an augmented reality game.

A method for controlling a robot arrangement having at least one robot includes monitoring the robot arrangement using multiple safety monitoring functions activated in parallel, and steps, which may be repeated multiple times during execution of an application of the robot arrangement, of: selecting a subset of process parameters from a prescribed set of process parameters on the basis of a prescribed rule arrangement having at least one selection rule, and adjusting this selected subset of process parameters to avoid violation of at least one of the safety monitoring functions.

A system and a method for executing a work process on an object. The system includes at least one work station, an acquisition device, a control device and an auditor device.

A predictive system and process that predicts safety system activation in industrial environments when collaborative robots (COBOTs), automated guidance vehicles (AGVs), and other robots (individual or collectively robots) are interacting (i) between one another or (ii) between a robot and human. As provided herein, the predictive system is not meant to substitute traditional safety systems, but rather to detect and classify robot-to-robot and robot-to-human interactions and potential interactions thereof so as to limit or avoid those interactions altogether, thereby increasing safety and efficiency of the robots.