Communication & Security Challenges Dealing with Cellular Robots Producers
Cellular robots are in all places, from warehouses to hospitals and even on the road. Their reputation is straightforward to grasp; they’re cheaper, safer, simpler to search out, and extra productive than precise employees. They’re straightforward to scale or mix with different machines. As cellular robots accumulate numerous real-time knowledge, firms can use cellular robots to start out their IIoT journey.
However to work effectively, cellular robots want secure and dependable communication. This text outlines the principle communication and security challenges dealing with cellular robotic producers and offers a simple approach to overcome these challenges to maintain cellular robots transferring.
What are Cellular Robots?
Earlier than we start, let’s outline what we imply by cellular robots.
Cellular robots transport supplies from one location to a different and are available two sorts, automated guided autos (AGVs) and autonomous cellular robots (AMRs). AGVs use guiding infrastructure (wires reflectors, reflectors, or magnetic strips) to comply with predetermined routes. If an object blocks an AGV’s path, the AGV stops and waits till the article is eliminated.
AMRs are extra dynamic. They navigate by way of maps and use knowledge from cameras, built-in sensors, or laser scanners to detect their environment and select probably the most environment friendly route. If an object blocks an AMR’s deliberate route, it selects one other route. As AMRs are usually not reliant on guiding infrastructure, they’re faster to put in and might adapt to logistical modifications.
What are the Communication and Security Challenges Dealing with Cellular Robotic Producers?
1. Set up a Wi-fi ConnectionThe first problem for cellular robotic producers is to pick out probably the most appropriate wi-fi know-how. The same old recommendation is to determine the necessities, consider the requirements, and select the perfect match. Sadly, this isn’t all the time attainable for cellular robotic producers as usually they don’t know the place the machine might be situated or the precise particulars of the goal utility.
Typically a Bluetooth connection might be ultimate because it affords a secure non-congested connection, whereas different functions would require a high-speed, safe mobile connection. What can be helpful for cellular robotic producers is to have a networking know-how that’s straightforward to alter to fulfill particular necessities.
Determine 1. Wi-fi customary -high-level benefits and downsides
The second problem is to make sure that the set up works as deliberate. Earlier than putting in a wi-fi answer, full a predictive website survey primarily based on facility drawings to make sure the cellular robots have adequate sign protection all through the situation. The location survey ought to determine the optimum location for the Entry Factors, the right antenna sort, the optimum antenna angle, and how one can mitigate interference. After the set up, use wi-fi sniffer instruments to verify the design and modify APs or antenna as required.
2. Connecting Cellular Robots to Industrial Networks
Cellular robots want to speak with controllers on the related website though the cellular robots and controllers are sometimes utilizing completely different industrial protocols. For instance, an AGV may use CANopen whereas the controller may use PROFINET. Moreover, cellular robotic producers could wish to use the identical AGV mannequin on a unique website the place the controller makes use of one other industrial community, corresponding to EtherCAT.
Cellular robotic producers additionally want to make sure that their cellular robots have adequate capability to course of the required quantity of information. The required quantity of information will range relying on the dimensions and sort of set up. Giant installations could use extra knowledge because the routing algorithms have to cowl a bigger space, extra autos, and extra potential routes. Navigation programs corresponding to imaginative and prescient navigation course of photos and subsequently require extra processing energy than installations utilizing different navigation programs corresponding to reflectors. Consequently, cellular robotic producers should resolve the next challenges:
They want a networking know-how that helps all main fieldbus and industrial Ethernet networks.
It must be straightforward to alter the networking know-how to allow the cellular robotic to speak on the identical industrial community because the controller with out altering the {hardware} design.
They want to make sure that the networking know-how has adequate capability and performance to course of the required knowledge.
3. Making a Secure System
Making a system the place cellular robots can safely transport materials is a essential however difficult activity. Cellular robotic producers have to create a system that considers all the various sorts of cellular robots, buildings, and other people within the atmosphere. They want to make sure that the cellular robots react to outdoors actions, corresponding to somebody opening a security door or pushing an emergency cease button, and that the networking answer can course of completely different security protocols and interfaces. They should take into account that AMRs transfer freely and handle the chance of collisions accordingly. The know-how utilized in sensors is consistently evolving, and cellular robotic producers have to comply with the developments to make sure their merchandise stay as environment friendly as attainable.
Determine 2.Overview of Security Challenges for Cellular Robotic Producers
Security Requirements
The security requirements present tips on implementing safety-related elements, making ready the atmosphere, and sustaining machines or gear.
Whereas compliance with the completely different security requirements (ISO, DIN, IEC, ANSI, and so on.) is generally voluntary, machine builders within the European Union are legally required to comply with the security requirements within the equipment directives. Equipment directive 2006/42/EC is all the time relevant for cellular robotic producers, and in some functions, directive 2014/30/EU may also be related because it regulates the electromagnetic compatibility of kit. Equipment directive 2006/42/EC describes the necessities for the design and building of secure machines launched into the European market. Producers can solely affix a CE label and ship the machine to their clients if they’ll show within the declaration of conformity that they’ve fulfilled the directive’s necessities.
Though the opposite security requirements are usually not obligatory, producers ought to nonetheless comply with them as they assist to satisfy the necessities in equipment directive 2006/42/EC. For instance, producers can comply with the steering in ISO 12100 to cut back recognized dangers to an appropriate residual threat. They’ll use ISO 13849 or IEC 62061 to search out the required security stage for every threat and be certain that the corresponding safety-related operate meets the outlined necessities. Cellular robotic producers resolve how they obtain a sure security stage. For instance, they’ll lower the velocity of the cellular robotic to decrease the chance of collisions and severity of accidents to an appropriate stage. Or they’ll be certain that cellular robots solely function in separated zones the place human entry is prohibited (outlined as confined zones in ISO 3691-4).Figuring out the right requirements and implementing the necessities is the easiest way cellular producers can create a secure system. However as this abstract suggests, it’s a sophisticated and time-consuming course of.
4. Making certain a Dependable CAN CommunicationA dependable and easy-to-implement customary because the Nineteen Eighties, communication-based on CAN know-how continues to be rising in reputation, primarily attributable to its use in varied booming industries, corresponding to E-Mobility and Battery Power Storage Techniques (BESS). CAN is easy, power and cost-efficient. All of the units on the community can entry all the knowledge, and it’s an open customary, that means that customers can adapt and lengthen the messages to fulfill their wants.For cellular robotic producers, establishing a CAN connection is turning into much more important because it allows them to watch the lithium-ion batteries more and more utilized in cellular robotic drive programs, both in retrofit programs or in new installations. Cellular robotic producers have to do the next:
1.Set up a dependable connection to the CAN or CANopen communication requirements to allow them to verify their units, corresponding to monitoring the battery’s standing and efficiency.
2. Defend programs from electromagnetic interference (EMI), as EMI can destroy a system’s electronics. The danger of EMI is critical in retrofits as including new elements, corresponding to batteries subsequent to the communication cable, ends in the introduction of high-frequency electromagnetic disturbances.
5. Accessing Cellular Robots RemotelyThe skill to remotely entry a machine’s management system can allow cellular robotic distributors or engineers to troubleshoot and resolve most issues with out touring to the positioning.
Determine 3.Advantages of Distant Entry
The problem is to create a distant entry answer that balances the wants of the IT division with the wants of the engineer or vendor.
The IT division needs to make sure that the community stays safe, dependable, and retains integrity. Consequently, the distant entry answer ought to embrace the next safety measures:
Use outbound connections moderately than inbound connections to maintain the affect on the firewall to a minimal.
Separate the related site visitors from the remainder of the community.
Encrypt and defend all site visitors to make sure its confidentiality and integrity.
Be sure that distributors work consistent with or are licensed to related safety requirements corresponding to ISO 27001
Be sure that suppliers full common safety audits.
The engineer or vendor needs an easy-to-use and reliable system. It needs to be straightforward for customers to connect with the cellular robots and entry the required data. If the set up may change, it needs to be straightforward to scale the variety of robots as required. If the cellular robots are in a unique nation from the distributors or engineers, the networking infrastructure should have adequate protection and redundancy to ensure availability worldwide.
ConclusionAs we’ve seen, cellular robotic producers should resolve many communication and security challenges. They need to set up a wi-fi connection, ship knowledge over completely different networks, guarantee security, connect with CAN programs, and securely entry the robots remotely. And to make it extra difficult, every set up have to be re-assessed and tailored to fulfill the on-site necessities.
Finest observe to implement cellular robotic communicationMobile robotic producers are hardly ever communication or security consultants. Subsequently, they’ll discover it time-consuming and costly to attempt to develop the required communication know-how in-house. Enlisting purpose-built third-party communication options not solely solves the communication challenges at hand, it additionally offers different advantages.
Fashionable communication options have a modular design enabling cellular robotic producers to take away one networking product designed for one customary or protocol and exchange it with a product designed for a unique customary or protocol with out impacting every other a part of the machine. For instance, Bluetooth stands out as the best suited wi-fi customary in a single set up, whereas Wi-Fi could present higher protection in one other set up. Equally, one website could use the PROFINET and PROFIsafe protocols, whereas one other could use completely different industrial and security protocols. In each situations, cellular robotic producers can use communication merchandise to alter the networking know-how to fulfill the native necessities with out making any modifications to the {hardware} design.
Authors:
Mark Crossley, Daniel Heinzler, Fredrik Brynolf, Thomas Carlsson
HMS Networks
HMS Networks is an industrial communication skilled primarily based in Sweden, offering a number of options for AGV communication. Learn extra on www.hms-networks.com/agv
Share:Klicken zum Ausdrucken (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klick, um auf Fb zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klicken, um auf WhatsApp zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klicken, um in Skype zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klick, um über Twitter zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klick, um auf Reddit zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klick, um auf Pocket zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klick, um auf Pinterest zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klick, um auf Tumblr zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klick, um auf LinkedIn zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)Klicken, um auf Telegram zu teilen (Wird in neuem Fenster geöffnet)
Ähnliche Beiträge