research project – pushbuttons with skin detection ... · research project – pushbuttons with...

Research project – Pushbuttons with skin detection Infrared sensor for industrial safety Fields of application A practical solution to avoid work accidents Work accidents are a matter of course in the field, e.g. on drill presses where the operators wear gloves, which are caught in the drill, thus screwing in the fingers of the operator. These accidents, which also occur on other rotating machinery or machine parts, can result in irreversible injuries. Until now, there was no technical solution to avoid these accidents, which are often due to pure inadvertence or ignorance. The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University initi- ated together with Schmersal a research project to search for possibilities to pre- vent operators from starting the machine when wearing gloves. This solution can be optimally integrated in the existing man-machine interface and allows for a clear and reliable differentia- tion. If the machine operator pushes the start button, the sensor is activated. When the sensor detects the spectral signature of the human skin, the machine will be started. If the measured value is outside the taught signature, it is obvious that the operator wears gloves, as a result of which the machine cannot be started. On the way to serial production The pushbutton with skin detection, which the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and Schmersal present at SPS/ IPC/ Drives 2009, is not a serial product yet. The presentation at the fair rather is an exemplary university research project for the safety of man and machine, which opens a new range of application for optoelectronic safety devices. Optoelectronics equipped with new technology: the skin detection sensor The solution was based upon an innova- tive sensor principle: a sensor detects the “spectral signature” of the human skin. This detection principle already has prov- en itself in other industrial conditions, e.g. for the automated sorting of different types of plastics in recycling plants. The idea: integrating this technology in safety switches The development engineers could start from this technology, which is still in the research stage. In collaboration with the Schmersal Group as industrial partner, they succeeded in integrating the NIR sensor in a pushbutton of the R-series, which can be used as start button with finger recognition.

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Page 1: Research project – Pushbuttons with skin detection ... · Research project – Pushbuttons with skin detection Infrared sensor for industrial safety Fields of application A practical

Research project – Pushbuttons with skin detectionInfrared sensor for industrial safety

Fields of application

A practical solution to avoid work accidentsWork accidents are a matter of course in the field, e.g. on drill presses where the operators wear gloves, which are caught in the drill, thus screwing in the fingers of the operator.

These accidents, which also occur on other rotating machinery or machine parts, can result in irreversible injuries.

Until now, there was no technical solution to avoid these accidents, which are often due to pure inadvertence or ignorance. The Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University initi-ated together with Schmersal a research project to search for possibilities to pre-vent operators from starting the machine when wearing gloves.

This solution can be optimally integrated in the existing man-machine interface and allows for a clear and reliable differentia-tion. If the machine operator pushes the start button, the sensor is activated. When the sensor detects the spectral signature of the human skin, the machine will be started. If the measured value is outside the taught signature, it is obvious that the operator wears gloves, as a result of which the machine cannot be started.

On the way to serial productionThe pushbutton with skin detection, which the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University and Schmersal present at SPS/ IPC/ Drives 2009, is not a serial product yet. The presentation at the fair rather is an exemplary university research project for the safety of man and machine, which opens a new range of ap-plication for optoelectronic safety devices.

Optoelectronics equipped with new technology: the skin detection sensorThe solution was based upon an innova-tive sensor principle: a sensor detects the “spectral signature” of the human skin. This detection principle already has prov-en itself in other industrial conditions, e.g. for the automated sorting of different types of plastics in recycling plants.

The idea: integrating this technology in safety switchesThe development engineers could start from this technology, which is still in the research stage. In collaboration with the Schmersal Group as industrial partner, they succeeded in integrating the NIR sensor in a pushbutton of the R-series, which can be used as start button with finger recognition.

b_finp02.indd 1 19.11.2009 11:16:30