Glossary · Robotics
Collision detection
Also known as: Contact detection, Crash detection
German: Kollisionserkennung
In robotics, collision detection is a function of the robot controller that recognizes an unexpected contact, usually from deviations in motor current or joint torque compared with a model, and then stops or retracts the robot to limit damage or injury.
- Robotics
In one sentence
Collision detection recognizes unexpected contact from torque or current deviations and stops or retracts the robot to limit damage.
Example
When the gripper hit a misplaced pallet, collision detection stopped the robot within milliseconds and the controller logged the axis and torque value.
How it applies
- Engineering: Sensitivity depends on an accurate Payload setting; wrong load data causes false stops or missed contacts. In collaborative applications, power and force limiting is a safety function with a rated performance, whereas standard collision detection mainly protects the robot and tooling.
- Operation: After a detected collision, the operator must know how to recover: acknowledge, retract, check the tool and restart. Frequent nuisance stops tempt people to reduce the sensitivity.
- Documentation: The documentation team should state whether the collision detection is a safety-rated function, what the recovery procedure is, and that changing the sensitivity or the payload data requires re-checking the application.
Collision detection vs. collision avoidance
Detection reacts to contact that has already occurred; Collision avoidance tries to prevent it. For people, contact detection is only acceptable where the risk assessment allows contact at the resulting forces.