Assessment of pressure pain thresholds in collisions with collaborative robots

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0215890
• Publication Date: 2019-05-02T17:45:01Z
• Authors: Moon Young Park; Doyeon Han; Jung Ho Lim; Min Kyung Shin; Young Rok Han; Dong Hwan Kim; Sungsoo Rhim; Kyung Sook Kim
• Keywords: Adult; Male; Pain Threshold; 0209 industrial biotechnology; Science; Q; R; Robotics; 02 engineering and technology; Middle Aged; Body Mass Index; Young Adult; Pressure; Medicine; Humans; Safety; Research Article

In recent years, safety issues surrounding robots have increased in importance, as more are close contact with humans, both industrial fields and elsewhere. Safety standards for operating specific spaces been established, but no such specified collaborative service robots. To establish robots, we assessed pressure pain thresholds collisions between humans under the assumption that threshold is lower than mild injury threshold. The collision a robot was measured 90 male Korean adults using homemade system. were three times at 15 sites, including forehead. highest 196.1 ± 85.8 N/cm2 back of hand, lowest 65.1 22.6 an arm nerve. Moderate thresholds, i.e., 100–120 N/cm2, noted on forehead, neck muscle, ball thumb, shin. participants < 30 years age lower, by 3–33%, those aged > years. Thresholds differed body mass index only certain shoulder joint, neck, hand. depended individual characteristics, site, age. relevant to potential human-robot determined be N/cm2.