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AMA: Are AMRs safe around people?
In this blog series, we’re looking for manufacturing facilities and warehouses to ask their top industry and product questions, and OTTO Motors’ material flow experts will answer them.
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are independent, decision-making agents. While this provides unprecedented and needed flexibility, it also raises concerns as the robots work alongside people and other equipment. Even with the adoption of AMRs growing every year, manufacturers worldwide are still wondering…
Are AMRs Safe Around People?
- AMRs have safety-rated LiDAR sensors to monitor the area around them. If an obstacle, such as a person, gets too close to the robot, the LiDAR detects it and is able to immediately remove power from the robot’s motors, automatically triggering the brakes.
- AMRs use speed sensors to understand how fast they are going and in what direction. Combining this knowledge with the ability to create many LiDAR fieldsets, the robots are able to focus on protecting only the space around them that needs it.
- AMRs use 3D depth sensing cameras to supplement the LiDAR system. These sensors are able to detect obstacles above and below the LiDAR plane, increasing the robot’s ability to perceive and avoid obstacles.
- AMRs analyze the LiDAR data to find any moving objects in their vicinity, and take evasive action if it appears that their paths cross.
In the video below, Kurt Oberparleiter, VP of Operations at Sunview Patio Doors, discusses how OTTO 1500 uses these technologies to remain safe in their facility.
OTTO Motors leads the AMR industry in safety, using a safety-first approach in the design of our robots. Our fleet of AMRs complies with industrial truck safety standards, including ISO 3691-4, ANSI / RIA R15.08-1 and ANSI / ITSDF B56.5. Designed to minimize risks and built with safety-rated hardware and software, our end users safety and output is our priority. Our robots’ key safety related parts meet a performance level rating of ‘D’—between 0.00001% and 0.0001% failure rate—and have achieved CE marking requirements for the European market. OTTO AMRs are audited bi-annually by PILZ Automation Safety Canada—a reputable 3rd party—ensuring high levels of safety compared to human operators and achieving improved efficiency in dynamic environments. OTTO AMRs can be configured with safe custom configurations which include speciality attachments and bespoke payloads. OTTO Motors was a co-author of ANSI / RIA R15.08-1, the definitive AMR safety specification, and the company continues to champion the development of safe AMRs by participating in federal ISO mirror committees, workgroups, and various standards development organizations. OTTO Motors provides a solution that is profitable, flexible, adaptable and fast without compromising on safety and reliability.
Written by Adrian, Technical Marketing Manager at OTTO Motors.
