Product Information¶
Intended Use¶
The MPO-500 has been designed for use in service robotics research. It can be used for a wide range of different experiments and tests in fields such as autonomous vehicles, mobile manipulation and factory automation.
Depending on the intended application the MPO-500 can be used on its own, in combination with other robot vehicles and in combination with stationary systems. Furthermore, application specific extensions can be integrated into the basic platform. These might be a customised cargo area, a robot arm or special sensors.
The MPO-500 may only be used in laboratories, test halls or similar environments. It is not recommended to use the MPO-500 in any other surrounding, especially not outdoors, in offices or factories.
Improper Use¶
Danger
- The mobile robot must not be used for transportation of passengers in any way. No person must ride on the robot itself, nor must the robot be used to move any other vehicle or hanger with passengers aboard.
- The mobile robot must not be operated in any publicly accessible area without assessment of risks. If the robot is to be modified either permanently (e.g. by mounting additional components) or temporarily (e.g. by loading cargo) its safe operation must be assessed and approved.
- Without the safety approval described above, the mobile robot must at no times be used without supervision of a qualified operator if there are guests, passers-by or other people unfamiliar with the robot within the working area.
- The robot must never be operated in areas where there are staircases leading down, elevated platforms or other possibilities for falling or dropping down. This may cause serious injuries or death!
Working Area¶
The working area of the mobile robot must be protected against rain and have a sufficiently firm and clean floor. The floor must be even and horizontal.
Tip
Slopes, edges, steps and unevenness can result in problems when the robot is moving or with the localisation. Under some circumstances the robot might not be able to continuously determine its exact position and therefore might plan unnecessary or problematic paths or might even be unable to reach its destination.
Under certain conditions, rain or heavy splash water might enter the robot and cause damages. Flying sparks, heavy dust and similar dirt may affect or damage the sensors and thus might make the operation of the mobile robot inefficient or unsafe. Dirt and liquids on the floor may lead to slippage and problems of localisation and navigation.
The robot does not feature any sensor for detecting staircases, holes or other areas where it may drop down. In case of loss of localisation or faulty programming the robot might fall down such place
Warning
Always check for and secure all places where the robot might drop down before bringing it into operation.
Qualified Personnel¶
This product must only be modified, commissioned, operated and serviced by qualified personnel.
The requirements on qualified personnel can be found at Qualified Personnel.
Safety Instructions¶
Please also check the general safety instructions for Neobotix robots which can be found at Safety Instructions.
Danger Areas¶
Wheels¶
Due to their unique design, the four Mecanum wheels of the MPO-500 have a higher potential for danger than normal wheels. Please mind the following in order to prevent injuries or damages:
- Never touch the wheels of the moving robot and also prevent guests, passers-by and especially children from touching them.
- Take care that no part of the cargo or additional components (e.g. cables, wires) can touch the wheels.
- Make sure that the working space of the MPO-500 is free of all objects which might be caught in the wheels. Different from normal wheels Mecanum wheels may not only run over objects but objects might also get stuck in the wheels and might be moved along.
- In case additional safety measures are required please contact Neobotix. We will provide wheel housings designed for your application.
Battery Drawer¶
Both the outsides of the robot and the battery drawer are completely safe to touch while the robot is in use. Nevertheless, opening the battery drawer allows one to reach into the robot platform and to touch powered components.
Warning
Never reach into the robot platform while the system is turned on. There is risk of electric shock!
All cables and wires on the batteries and inside the drawer are placed and cut to length in a way that will prevent damages during normal operation. Modifying or moving these parts might cause damage to the wires.
Warning
Always take great care that no cables are clamped between drawer and platform or get caught in the telescopic slides. Please contact Neobotix immediately when noticing any damages to the cables.
A robot with damaged battery cables must not be operated in any case!
Laser Scanner Positions¶
The height of the scanning plane of the laser scanners must be chosen according to the applications safety requirements. In case the robot is to operate fully autonomously and without supervision in an area where it might encounter unconscious people the scanning plane should be no more than 200 mm above the ground.
Each laser scanner has a 270° wide field of view which is symmetric to the scanner housing. Therefore the positions of the laser scanners must also be chosen in consideration of blind spots.
Please contact Neobotix if the positions of the laser scanners has to be modified.