How to Prevent Accidents at Factories? – Novelic Sensors Recognize the Difference Between Human Beings and Machines

Source: eKapija Sunday, 16.08.2020. 11:02
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(Photo: Novelic/Jure Galić)
From first being used in the military industry in the 20th century, the radar has evolved into a miniature, widely available device that can be used in various industries. The engineering team of the Novelic company, a member of the Science-Technology Park of Belgrade, is developing radar technology which meets the most specific demands when it comes to the security of people working around industrial machines.

When it comes to its implementation in the industry, the development of radar technology for detection and differentiation between human beings and machines is very important. There are other technologies, such as cameras, lidars, ultrasound or infrared devices and each one has to have its own characteristics. In addition to a lower price, a great advantage of the radar technology compared to lasers is that it functions equally well in the widest range of weather and environmental conditions.

How do radars work? Electromagnetic waves are emitted into the space at the speed of light, reflect against the object and return to the radar. By analyzing the reflected wave, the radar determines the direction of the movement, the position, the speed of the object and the microvibrations. Objects are classified through analyzing these signals. Specific forms of movement, such as breathing, which is detected in a certain position in space, enables the differentiation between human beings and inanimate objects.

– The movements of people in a certain, pre-defined space are predictable. A combination of movement analysis and chest microvibrations confirms the presence of people. The NOVELIC system thereby follows people in a defined zone. The essence is in detecting people who are in a danger zone (the space around the robot arm), so as to stop the machine on time and prevent people from getting hurt – explains Jure Galic, development manager at Novelic.

The application of radar systems is very wide. They are used in robotics, medicine, machine industry and automotive industry. In the automotive industry, where their use is perhaps the most familiar to us, the differentiation can be made on the level of being able to tell an object from a person. The warning signal will not sound out if there's a bag in the front seat instead of a person. The radar can count people in the vehicle, monitor the breathing and the heartbeat of the driver and “conclude” that the driver needs rest.

Furthermore, the use of sensors for detecting living beings in a vehicle is very important. In the USA, records say that around 40 babies die in a vehicle each year being left by their parents for a short time, in order to “do something”. The temperature of a baby's body increases three times faster than the temperature of a grown person, which can quickly lead to a fatal outcome. In order to support the development of solutions for this problem, the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP) will be rating producers which implement technologies which prevent such outcomes with a maximum of five stars from 2022.


When asked how complicated it is to develop a sensor system per specific request and whether there's a market for it in Serbia, Galic says:

– Novelic is a developmental company which operates in the world market and whose projects take several years. To develop an algorithm for a specific application in the industry is not an easy task at all. Such an algorithm requires knowledge in AI and machine learning. We are very glad that our knowledge is appreciated and demanded among the biggest names of the global auto, machine and electronic industry. It is important to point out that, in addition to the software, Novelic also develops the hardware component of the future radar module. Also, for certain applications, we have developed our own radar chip and it can be said that we are the first company in the area to develop complete analog chips in Serbia.

Galic adds that, in the local market, NOVELIC sensors can be used to increase security and as a replacement for laser sensors, because their performances are better and they are more affordable. In that sense, they see public services and large industrial systems in Serbia as their potential partners.

Milica Banovic
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