International Robot Safety Conference Preview: Innovations in Robot Safety

Chris Soranno, Manager of International Safety Standards, SICK PCA

Chris Soranno, FS Exp, CFSAE-T, is the Manager of International Safety Standards for SICK Product & Competence Center Americas, LLC, focusing on areas of strategic priority, ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of the company’s participation in the international standards development process.

Mr. Soranno is a member, chair/vice-chair or project leader of several national and international industry committees addressing safety of machinery. He has consulted with equipment suppliers, integrators and end users in diverse global applications for over 25 years. He is a member of several safety organizations and has presented at numerous industrial safety events and authored many articles and whitepapers.

Roberta Nelson Shea, Global Technical Compliance Officer, Universal Robots

Roberta Nelson Shea is the Global Technical Compliance Officer at Universal Robots, with over 45 years of experience in automation safety and standardization. She oversees global product compliance, risk management, and efforts to reduce barriers for the acceptance of collaborative robots. Shea has received numerous prestigious awards, including the 2023 Joseph F. Engelberger Award for safety and the 2022 Goddard Alumni Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement. She has been recognized as one of the top women in robotics and safety by several organizations.

Shea has had a long and influential career in robot safety standards, including serving as the chair of the US Robot Safety Committee for 23 years and being active in various national and international standardization efforts. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and a Masters in Advanced Safety Engineering and Management from the University of Alabama Birmingham. Her career includes leadership roles at Rockwell, Symbotic, AMT, Pilz USA, and a start at Procter & Gamble.

Mark Lewandowski, Robotics Network Innovation Leader, Procter & Gamble

Mark Lewandowski is the Director of Robotics Innovation in Global Engineering for Procter & Gamble. He has 30 years of machine controls, robotics, and machine safety experience with Procter & Gamble in high speed converting, packaging, and robotics applications. Mark leads the Robotics Innovation group for the P&G Robotics Technical Network that is chartered to develop standard approaches for robotics technology throughout P&G and is responsible for identifying new and innovative robotic technologies to leverage within the company.

Mark is also a member of the A3 Robotics Board of Directors and participates in several industry standard development groups for robotics and machine safety.