Citation

Helander MG. Int. J. Ind. Ergonomics 1990; 6(2): 127-149.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper reviews research on safety and ergonomics in robot workplaces. In the planning of function allocation between robots and human operators, several criteria must be taken into consideration. These include productivity, job satisfaction, and safety. This planning must begin at the early stage of product design where the choice of manufacturing method must be scrutinized to achieve an optimal allocation. An analysis of accidents shows that most fatalities have occured with the robot approaching unseen from behind or above. This has implications for the design of the workstation and the choice of safety equipment. The most critical aspect is the moving robot arm. Further research is needed to understand the perceptibility of arm movements. Research on sensors that can shut off the equipment in hazardous situations is summarized. Six research ideas are proposed: (1) the establishment of a databank for accident analysis; (2) field studies of design requirements of robotics workplaces; (3) perception of robot arm movement; (4) teach pendant design; (5) function allocation between humans and robots; and (6) development of a transponder safety sensor.