By Matthias Buch, Team Leader Product Management BU LOGIC OFFICE

“Danger, Will Robinson!”

This famous catch-phrase, uttered by Robot B9 from the late 1960s TV series, “Lost in Space,” served as a warning that something ominous was about to happen.  More than 50 years later, the term endures; Urban Dictionary defines “Danger, Will Robinson!” as “s/he is about to do something really stupid and/or downright dangerous.”

While today’s workplace may not host Robot B9, much more progressive and sophisticated resources abound to not just provide warnings of mishaps, but actually “course correct” a situation.

Enter the field of collision detection, a growing trend in many industries – from mining to manufacturing to automotive and accelerating its presence in the office environment especially as the market for height adjustability (furniture) continues its boom.

Simply put, collision detection is the study and application of high-tech sensors and software that help reduce incidents.  The presence of collision avoidance/detection is so profound – and discreet — you may not see the technology in action but have likely been the beneficiary of it.  Case in point, if you drive a newer model vehicle, collision avoidance sensors or CAS, are built into everything from “lane departure warnings” to sensors, cameras and lasers which monitor movement around the vehicle (pedestrians, cyclists, etc.), alerting drivers through a prompt (beep, alarm, vibration, etc.) of something amiss.

The use and application of these collision detectors continues widespread involvement in today’s “smart office,” with LOGICDATA on the forefront of this trend for many years.  Our work in this area includes the creation of a patented Intelligent Safety Protection (ISP) technology that is integrated into our products, with a team of researchers and engineers committed to advancing ISP applications.

Our ISP technology can detect changes in pressure for a height-adjustable table, will stop the table movement and reverse its direction for a specified distance.  Think of an adjustable work space that “bumps” into a shelf or chair.  Our ISP senses these interferences and reverses direction – which ultimately means less wear and tear on your adjustable furniture investment and protects the overall functionality of the system itself.
LOGICDATA’s ISP solution involves an interaction between the mechanical and electronic systems that is responsible for stopping the table.  In addition, the mechanical components, motor and ambient conditions all affect cut-out sensitivity.

Here’s how our ISP works and makes our offerings so unique.

• Test, test and more testing – our ISP goes through tremendous internal testing, spanning various conditions. In fact, of our members serve on a team with the Business Institutional Furniture Manufacturing Association (BIFMA), that is exploring revisions to a standard for defining safety and durability of height-adjustable tables. As a supplier of systems, we have deep insight into what the systems are able to accomplish and look forward to supporting the furniture manufacturers and industry to better understand how systems work and listen to their input to improve the future.
• Customers are invited to test and adjust the sensitivity of the ISP for their tables – we’ll work with you to ensure its right for your office environment for any table configuration for the best possible user experience.

Want ISP options? We’ve got them!

1. Software ISP
   1. Works with all LOGICDATA Control Boxes
2. Integrated sensors in our SLIMdrive-660s
   1. Works with all LOGICDATA Control Boxes
   2. No visible sensor
   3. Very sensitive and effective to eliminate dead zones when paired with our software ISP
3. External Sensor Kit
   1. Works with LOGICDATA’s COMPACT Control Boxes
   2. Our SMARTneo-pro includes an integrated amplifier and only needs the sensor cable
   3. Very sensitive and effective to eliminate dead zones when paired with our software ISP

It’s important to note that as the Control Box manufacturer, LOGICDATA cannot eliminate this residual risk completely or accept any liability.  The ISP-sensitivity and the ISP-cutoff value depend on the whole system (mechanical and electrical components). To evaluate the ISP-capability of a height-adjustable table, please contact your current Account Manager or reach out to sales.na@logicdata.net for North America or sales@logicdata.net for locations other than North America.