Collaborative Robot (Cobot) Safety

What is it?

Cobot safety is the set of design and operational principles that allow a collaborative robot to share workspace with humans safely. Governed primarily by ISO/TS 15066, which specifies four collaboration modes: safety-monitored stop, hand guiding, speed and separation monitoring, and power and force limiting.

How it works

A cobot detects contact through current sensing or torque sensing at each joint. On unintended contact, it stops within milliseconds before causing harm. Speed-and-separation monitoring uses external scanners to slow the robot as a human approaches. Cobots are typically limited to 1.5 m/s and have rounded, low-mass arms.

Real-world example

Universal Robots UR5 and UR10 are the world's most-deployed cobots. ABB YuMi and FANUC CRX are popular alternatives. They operate without cages in thousands of small Indian factories.

Why it matters for robotics

Cobots dramatically lower the cost of robotic automation by removing the need for safety enclosures. But proper risk assessment and safety configuration is essential — improperly set-up cobots can still injure.

See also

• Cobot
• Collaborative Robot
• Iso 10218