Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Additional Padding on the Collaborative Robot Velocity Behavior in Transient Contact Cases

: In this paper, a suitable measurement setup is presented and applied to conduct force and pressure measurements for transient contact cases with the shoulder at the example of lathe machine tending. Empirical measurements were executed on a selected collaborative robot’s behavior regarding allowable operating speeds under consideration of sensor sensitivity, robot collision geometry, and damping materials. Comparisons between the theoretic calculations proposed in ISO/TS 15066 and the practical measurement results present a basis for future research. With the created database, preliminary risk assessment and economic assessment procedures of collaborative machine tending cells can be facilitated.