Optimum Design for Emergency Stop Button on Robot Teach Pendants

Area of Science:

• Human-Robot Interaction
• Industrial Robotics Safety
• Ergonomics and Usability

Background:

• Robot teach pendants are crucial for industrial robot operation and safety.
• The emergency stop button is the primary safety mechanism on these pendants.
• Optimizing the design of the emergency stop button is essential for rapid human response.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose design recommendations for industrial robot teach pendant emergency stop buttons.
• To evaluate the impact of button location and size on human reaction time.
• To identify optimal configurations for emergency stop button placement and dimensions.

Main Methods:

• Experimental evaluation of human performance in pressing emergency stop buttons.
• Measurement of reaction time as the key performance indicator.
• Systematic variation of seven button locations and three button sizes.

Main Results:

• The shortest human reaction times were achieved with a 38mm button.
• Optimal button placement was identified as the left and left-down positions.
• These findings indicate a significant impact of size and location on safety response.

Conclusions:

• A 38mm emergency stop button is recommended for industrial robot teach pendants.
• Placement on the left or left-down positions significantly reduces reaction time.
• These design improvements can enhance overall industrial robot safety protocols.