Human-robot interaction (HRI) safety and UX design determine whether deployed robots are productive assets or sources of employee anxiety, incident reports, and eventual decommissioning. As industrial robots, collaborative robots (cobots), and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) become more prevalent in warehouses, factories, and healthcare settings, the engineering disciplines of safety system design and human-centred robot UX are as important as the robot's technical capabilities. This guide covers the safety standards, collaborative robot design principles, and UX patterns that make human-robot workplaces both safe and productive.
Safety Standards for HRI
| Standard | Scope | Key Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 10218-1/2 | Industrial robot safety — design and integration | Risk assessment; safeguarding; collaborative operation modes |
| ISO/TS 15066 | Collaborative robot safety — specific to cobots | Contact force/pressure limits; speed limits near humans; SSM and PFL modes |
| ISO 3691-4 | Industrial trucks (AMRs/AGVs) | Pedestrian detection; emergency stop; warning signals; speed limits |
| IEC 62061 | Functional safety for machinery | Safety Integrity Level (SIL) requirements for safety-critical control functions |
| ANSI/RIA R15.06 | US industrial robot safety (aligned to ISO) | Risk assessment; safeguarding requirements for US compliance |
Collaborative Robot Operating Modes (ISO/TS 15066)
- Robot stops when human enters collaborative workspace
- Resumes when human leaves — simplest to implement
- Lowest throughput — robot pauses for every human entry
- Human directly guides robot while force sensor detects input
- Used for teach pendant replacement in programming
- Requires enable device; speed limited to 250mm/s
- Robot slows as human approaches; speed proportional to separation
- Sensor (3D camera, lidar) measures human-robot distance in real time
- Best throughput for share-workspace collaboration
- Contact allowed — robot limits force to safe threshold on contact
- ISO/TS 15066 Annex A: body region-specific force limits
- Enables true task sharing — human and robot at same workspace
For every new robot installation: conduct ISO 10218-2 risk assessment before design finalisation. Identify: hazard zones (reach envelope, pinch points, end effector contact areas), personnel exposure (who is near the robot, how often, for how long), and potential harm severity and probability. Select safeguarding based on risk: fencing + light curtains for high-risk tasks, SSM for medium-risk collaborative work, PFL only for low-payload cobots with validated force profiles. Document all safeguarding decisions for CE/UL certification. Engage a certified robot safety engineer (TÜV-certified or equivalent) for the risk assessment.
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