| CPC A61H 3/00 (2013.01) [G06N 3/04 (2013.01); G06N 3/08 (2013.01); A61H 2201/165 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1659 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5007 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5071 (2013.01); A61H 2230/065 (2013.01); A61H 2230/085 (2013.01); A61H 2230/655 (2013.01)] | 12 Claims |
|
1. A system for assisting an operator in a work station, the system comprising:
at least one collaborative robot configured to assist an operator in conducting one or more operations in an open, non-protected space, adjacent to the operator and in cooperation with the operator, with a robot electronic controller associated to the at least one collaborative robot,
at least one active exoskeleton including one or more electrically operated actuators, wearable by the operator for receiving assistance in conducting the one or more operations,
a plurality of sensors associable to a body of the operator and configured for detecting a movement of the operator and/or relative orientation of one or more body districts of the operator,
at least one system electronic controller configured for receiving sensor signals from said plurality of sensors and for sending control signals to said one or more actuators of the at least one active exoskeleton and to said robot electronic controller such that said at least one collaborative robot moves in a direction which avoids a collision with the operator in response to a first control signal of the control signals based on a first sensor signal of the sensor signals received from a first sensor of said plurality of sensors, the first sensor signal indicating a position of the operator to be within a threshold proximity of the at least one collaborative robot,
wherein the at least one system electronic controller is configured and programmed for dynamically controlling:
a functioning of said one or more actuators of the at least one active exoskeleton to control a movement of the at least one active exoskeleton via the control signals; and
a functioning of the at least one collaborative robot as a function of the position of the operator detected by the first sensor so as to move the at least one collaborative robot via the control signals to avoid collisions or injuries between the at least one collaborative robot and the operator or conditions of lack of safety for the operator, and so as to enable the at least one collaborative robot to cooperate with the operator by conducting a first action which is complementary to a second action of the operator, the first action and the second action facilitating the conducting of an operation of the one or more operations, and the first action being different from the second action,
wherein the at least one system electronic controller controls the movement of the at least one active exoskeleton by sending the at least one active exoskeleton a second control signal of the control signals based on a second sensor signal of the sensor signals generated by a second sensor of the plurality of sensors in response to the movement of the operator and/or the relative orientation of the one or more body districts of the operator; and
wherein the at least one system electronic controller avoids a countermovement of the at least one active exoskeleton against the movement of the operator and/or the relative orientation of the one or more body districts of the operator in response to the first sensor signal indicating the position of the operator to be within the threshold proximity of the at least one collaborative robot.
|