STPA and Bowtie risk analysis study for centralized and hierarchical control architectures comparison
Loading...
Date
2020-06-21
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Alexandria Engineering Journal.Alexandria University.Volume 59, Issue 5. pp 1-18.
Abstract
The industrial zones are increasingly invaded by groups of mobile robots that are the
most capable to perform complex tasks by collaborating and cooperating together. The operation
of a mobile robot within a dynamic and high-risk environment with strong interaction between
robot-robot and human-robot is of a certain complexity of control and safety. Such type of systems
requires a safety and hazard investigation to verify if it is able to operate under certain operating
conditions, while still ensuring the control and collaboration between mobile robots and human.
This paper presents an approach that combines aspects of System-Theoretic Process Analysis
(STPA) and Bowtie for safety assessment purposes. The approach we propose is used for a case
related to multi-robot systems considering the coordinating, cooperating and collaborating aspects.
At first, a risk identification study is done using STPA to extract a set of risk scenarios related to
different types of hierarchical coordination architectures in addition to their factors. Afterward, an
evaluation of the obtained scenarios is performed by the Bowtie method. The aim of our study is to
better compare different control approaches of a multi-agent system. The combination offers
detailed hazard identification. It further provides a classification of risks which helps to improve
STPA outcomes thus facilitate decision-making over the suitable approach.