Veo Robotics launches improved robot safeguarding system

Veo Robotics, the industrial automation company that created FreeMove, a 3D safeguarding system for industrial robots that powers dynamic human–robot collaboration, has announced the release of its FreeMove 2.0 Engine. The redesigned FreeMove 2.0 Engine is a high-performance industrial computer with a proprietary safety architecture that works alongside FreeMove Sensors to monitor workcells in 3D. It implements dynamic speed and separation monitoring to enable safe interaction between humans and robots.

Veo currently partners with the major robot manufacturers Fanuc, Yaskawa, ABB and Kuka. Robot controllers supported include the ABB IRC5, the Fanuc R30iB and R30iB+, the Kuka KRC4 and the Yaskawa DX200 and YRC1000.

The launch coincides with a growing need for manufacturers to create safer facility floors as their use of automation — and in particular, robots — increases. FreeMove 2.0 comes with new features which add support for more complex manufacturing applications, including the ability to now monitor limited access zones and adjacent workcells. With congested and busy production floors, manufacturers typically have FreeMove supporting overlapping workcells. The upgraded engine enables safeguarding multiple workcells in a variety of configurations.

“Six years ago, we developed FreeMove as a first-of-its-kind safety solution to fill a gaping need in the industrial robotics industry,” said Patrick Toner, Director of Product Marketing at Veo Robotics. “Since then, we’ve worked with the world’s largest robot companies to bring manufacturers the ability to more seamlessly combine the strength, precision and speed of standard industrial robots with the ingenuity, judgment and dexterity of humans on their facility floors. FreeMove 2.0 builds on this progress, adding even more support for manufacturers to unlock the true power of human–robot collaboration.”

Additional advancements of Veo Robotics’ new engine include better environmental robustness to work within harsh environments, reducing startup time, and improved sensor registration. It maintains FreeMove’s original software that runs on failsafe hardware, providing manufacturers dynamic speed and separation monitoring to automatically trigger a robot to stop as human co-workers move closer to the robot during operation. This lets manufacturing teams prioritise safety and productivity without sacrificing one for the other.

“We’ve always believed our advanced safety system to be a game changer for human–robot collaboration,” Toner added. “We’re proud to continue helping our customers meet the unique demands of today’s flexible manufacturing environment, and boost their productivity while keeping their workers safe.”

Image: Veo Robotics FreeMove System 2.0.