Wireless e-stop technology improves safety around warehouse robots

摘要

Although its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) were highly effective and productive, a client of a leading AMR producer encountered a significant safety issue: its facility had large caged areas-in which they deployed multiple robots-leading to risks if employees entered them. To solve this safety challenge, the client wanted to implement a system to stop the robots instantly whenever people entered the caged area for maintenance or other operations. Each AMR was equipped with an e-stop button; however, it was time-consuming to track down each vehicle for a manual stop. And, as employees attempt to push the e-stop button, they could risk injuries if they're too close to moving robots. So, the AMR producer's robotics team decided to offer a wireless e-stopping solution for their client that would stop all of the robots at once, adhere to industry safety requirements, be easy to use and have a highly dependable wireless signal that limits potential interference. To install this solution, the AMR producer partnered with a smart machines safety and security solutions provider and used the provider's vehicle safety controller (VSC), a module that sends and receives emergency commands, using patented wireless safety technology.