As robots increasingly take their place working alongside humans in fulfillment centers worldwide, companies are looking for guidance on how machines and people can work together safely.
To help fill that void, the industry group Association for Advancing Automation (A3) recently released the second edition of its safety standard for industrial mobile robots. Formally known as “ANSI/A3 R15.08-2 Safety Standard for Industrial Mobile Robot Systems and Applications,” the new standard focuses on safe integration practices for these systems.
The document, which is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), provides safety requirements for deploying industrial mobile robots (IMRs)—the family of products that includes autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs)—with a focus on integrating, configuring, and customizing an IMR (or fleet of IMRs) into a site. It also describes different types of IMRs, discusses the adaptations necessary for the application and facility in which they’ll be used, and outlines safety requirements when IMRs interact with workstations, charging stations, and human co-workers.
“With the rapid development of mobile robot capabilities, it’s more important than ever for the safety of human workers to have common safety requirements and expectations for IMR systems and system integrations,” Carole Franklin, director of robotic standards development at A3, said in a release. “The R15.08 Part 2 is much-needed guidance toward ensuring safe integration practices for IMRs and will be a solid foundation for future work in this area.”
