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A robot that works with people is commonly called a collaborative robot, or cobot. The important distinction is that “collaborative” describes how a robot system and its human coworkers share a task or workspace—not a special kind of arm, or a guarantee that the robot is safe to approach.
What is a collaborative robot?
ISO describes collaborative robotics as automatically operated robot systems that share a workspace with people. NIOSH gives a complementary definition: a collaborative robot is “a robot designed for direct interaction with a human.” In practical terms, both definitions concern the way people and a robot system interact.
A conventional industrial robot can be used in a collaborative application if the complete setup and task are designed and safeguarded for working alongside people. Conversely, a product called a “cobot” is not automatically safe in every installation. The robot, its tools and workpiece, the work area, and the tasks people perform all affect the risks.
How can robots work safely alongside people?
Collaborative operation does not mean unrestricted contact. ISO’s guidance describes four methods used in industrial collaborative applications. They are not a ranked list, and choosing one does not by itself make every task safe; the application needs an appropriate risk assessment and safeguards.
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- Safety-rated monitored stop: The robot stops when a person enters the relevant area, with safeguards designed for that application.
- Hand guiding: A person guides the robot’s movement using an appropriate control arrangement.
- Speed and separation monitoring: The system monitors the distance between a person and the robot and manages movement to maintain separation.
- Power and force limiting: The application is designed to limit forces or power in relevant interactions, based on the assessed risks.
Which method is appropriate depends on what the worker does, whether the robot and person occupy a station or handle a workpiece at the same time, whether contact with moving equipment is possible, and how hazards are controlled.
What needs to be assessed in a collaborative robot application?
Assess the whole application, not only the robot arm. OSHA guidance identifies the robot system, end effector (the tool attached to the robot), workpiece, work area, and safeguards as relevant parts of the setup. The assessment should also account for how the system is installed and for the tasks people actually perform.
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- Human role: Is a person’s presence essential to the work? Must they guide the robot, load or handle the same workpiece, or share a workstation?
- Workspace and timing: Do a person and robot occupy the area together, or enter at different times? How is safe separation maintained?
- Potential contact: Could a person contact the robot while it moves, or be struck or trapped by its tool or workpiece?
- Tasks beyond normal production: Include setup, programming, testing, adjustment, and maintenance—not just routine operation. OSHA notes that accidents often occur during these non-routine activities.
- Safeguards and worker readiness: Check that safeguards are suitable for the assessed hazards, installed and verified, and understood by the workers who use or service the system.
OSHA’s technical guidance also recommends defining safe access and task locations. A system that is suitable for one task or operating mode may present different hazards when workers set it up, troubleshoot it, or maintain it.
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Which standards apply to industrial collaborative robots?
For industrial robot systems, ISO/TS 15066:2016 supplements ISO 10218-1 and ISO 10218-2 with safety requirements for collaborative robot systems and their work environment. ISO’s catalog lists the specification as published in February 2016; it records that the first edition was reviewed and confirmed in 2022 as remaining current, while its lifecycle stage is “To be revised.” Check the catalog for the latest status.
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OSHA summarizes ISO 10218-1 as covering robot design and protective measures, and ISO 10218-2 as addressing safe integration of the complete industrial robot system. These industrial standards should not be treated as automatically governing healthcare, consumer, service, military, space, or other non-industrial robots. ISO states that ISO/TS 15066 applies to industrial robot systems, not non-industrial robots; its safety principles may still be useful elsewhere.
In the United States, OSHA says there are currently no specific OSHA standards for the robotics industry. That does not mean robotics workplaces have no safety obligations. OSHA points to relevant industry standards and guidance, and employers still need to consider applicable general industry or construction requirements, risk assessment, safeguards, and worker training.
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Are cobots safe to work with?
They can be used in applications designed to manage the risks, but the label “cobot” alone cannot answer whether a particular installation is safe. The relevant question is whether the integrated robot, tools, workpiece, workspace, operating modes, and worker tasks have been assessed and protected appropriately.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchISO’s March 8, 2016 article quotes Roberta Nelson Shea, Convenor of the ISO Industrial Robot Safety Working Group (ISO/TC 299/WG 3): “If an application will not hurt and injure a human, why not allow contact?” The sentence belongs to a standards-development discussion; it is not permission for contact without assessing the application’s hazards.
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What does “robots that work with humans” mean outside factories?
The phrase can also describe robots encountered in healthcare, homes, services, and other non-industrial settings. Those uses are not automatically covered by the industrial scope of ISO/TS 15066. The core idea—designing the interaction around people and the task—still helps explain collaboration, but the applicable safety rules and assessment depend on the robot’s setting and purpose.
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