A Teaching Framework for Safety and Reliability of Robotic and Automation Systems

With digitalization and automation development, robotic and automation systems are designed and used widely in industries. However, unpleasant accidents regarding robotic and automation systems may happen. On one hand, emerging digital and automation technology creates new safety challenges. On the other hand, engineers should embrace safety engineering knowledge to achieve safer design and avoid misuse for foreseeable hazardous scenarios in the industry.

However, there is a knowledge gap between education and industry for engineering students. This paper presents a teaching framework that is developed by the authors with such demands from perspectives of standardization organization, robotics designers and users, consultancy, and students. In the framework, concerning robotic and automation systems, there are five topics, which include safety requirements from legislation and regulations, safety and reliability basics, safety analysis methods, reliability methods, and risk assessment.

The teaching framework aims to teach students systematic methods and tools for identifying, analyzing, and managing reliability and safety issues in robotic and automation systems so that it can prepare students to solve new safety problems and uptake the legal, societal, and ethical aspects in the era of industry 4.0.