The Hands That Teach Must Learn First
■ Being able to move it by hand is not the same as being allowed to teach it
Tsukamukun, a robot arm, arrived in the medication sorting room. Takasugi grabbed its arm and tried moving it: "You teach it by moving it by hand, right?" Tsukamukun is a collaborative robot (a robot designed to work alongside people) that can learn a motion when a person guides its arm by hand. So it looks as if anyone can touch it. Shiraishi hurried to stop her.
■ Anyone teaching within the arm's reach needs training
In Japan, to have workers teach motions or carry out inspections while the robot is running within the range of a robot arm whose motor output exceeds 80 W, employers must have them complete special safety training. The same applies to collaborative robots that can be taught by hand. The person teaching puts their body where the arm can reach. Without training, they stand there without knowing what is dangerous.
■ Conclusion: Before teaching the robot, learn its dangers
Takasugi was startled to hear the training takes three days. Tsukamukun, arm still raised, showed "…" on its screen. A few weeks later, certificate in hand, Takasugi was slowly moving Tsukamukun's arm to teach it. "After the training, I really see where the danger is." The training is not a box to tick. It is time for the person teaching to learn what is dangerous within the arm's reach.
Before people teach a robot, they must first learn its dangers.
