New R15.08 Part 1 American National Standard for Industrial Mobile Robot Safety Requirements Published by Robotic Industries Association

New safety standard from RIA provides technical requirements for design of mobile robots

ANN ARBOR, MI – The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), has published the first national safety standard for industrial mobile robots, one of the fastest-growing segments of the robotics and automation industry.

ANSI/RIA R15.08-1-2020 – American National Standard for Industrial Mobile Robots – Safety Requirements – Part 1: Requirements for the Industrial Mobile Robot provides technical requirements for the design of industrial mobile robots to support the safety of people who work near them.

Hundreds of committee volunteers and technical industry experts provided input during the standard’s four-year development process. The publication of this standard is the latest effort in RIA’s 40-year commitment to industrial robot safety.

“R15.08 Part 1 is a critical first step toward common guidelines in this growing sector of robotics,” said Carole Franklin, RIA Director of Standards Development. "We focused on the industrial environment, mainly spaces where the general public does not have unrestricted access. Additional considerations will be needed for safety of the public in non-industrial environments, such as retail, and this is one example of a subject that could be covered in future work."

Mobile robot manufacturers are the primary audience for R15.08 Part 1. Mobile robot integrators and users should also become familiar with the requirements. The standard is available for purchase in both electronic and printed formats for $190 for RIA members, and $225 for non-members.

Automate Forward, the premier virtual event for automation technologies, will feature a conference session highlighting R15.08 Part 1 to help educate the automation community on this new standard.

As industrial mobile robots and fleets are becoming increasingly common, the need for safety standards has become more crucial. As with all automation advances, RIA believes the safety of human workers should be the top priority.

The R15.08 Committee has already begun working on R15.08 Part 2, which will cover safety requirements for the deployment of industrial mobile robots or mobile robot fleets into the specific site where they will be used. Another future effort, R15.08 Part 3, will provide safety requirements for users of industrial mobile robots and mobile robot fleets.

About the Association for Advancing Automation
In the spring of 2021, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) will become the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), the global advocate for the benefits of automating. A3 promotes automation technologies and ideas that transform the way business is done. RIA is one of four allied associations, including AIA - Advancing Vision + Imaging, Motion Control & Motor Association (MCMA), and A3 Mexico, that will transform into A3. Combined, these associations represent over 1,100 automation manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, research groups and consulting firms from throughout the world that drive automation forward.

A3 hosts a number of industry-leading events, including the new virtual Automate Forward (March 22-26, 2021) and the Automate Show & Conference (June 6-9, 2022, in Detroit, MI).

www.a3automate.org

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For More Information

Jackie Rose
Association for Advancing Automation
(734) 929-3264
jrose@a3automate.org