Abstract

Automated production may have reduced the need for workers in dangerous areas, but workers are occasionally required to work in those areas–for example, to program robots or check their programming. Better detection of human presence close to dangerous areas is therefore essential to guarantee the safety of workers in such situations. This project will determine to what extent and under what conditions detection based on dispersive effects is effective. This principle, by which a metal object can be distinguished from an organic one by its specific dielectric properties, can help protect workers in the vicinity of certain dangerous machinery. An experimental prototype will be developed after computer simulations and could result in technology transfer. If the principle appears to be reliable and safe, it could be applied to robots and automated machines, as well as to metal presses and certain vehicles.