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ISO 10218 & ISO/TS 15066: The Collaborative Robot Safety Standards

Duration: 50 min · Level: Intermediate · Module: 8. Safety & Human-Robot Interaction · Focus: safety, ISO, standards, compliance

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to explain and apply:

  • ISO/TS 15066 body contact limits
  • Four collaboration modes defined
  • Power and force limiting (mode 4)
  • Speed and separation monitoring (mode 3)
  • CE marking (Europe) and UL certification (North America) for…

Why this matters​

ISO 10218 (Parts 1 & 2) covers safety requirements for industrial robots.

Overview​

ISO 10218 (Parts 1 & 2) covers safety requirements for industrial robots. ISO/TS 15066 extends this to "collaborative robots" — robots that operate in direct physical contact with humans. These standards define the force and pressure limits that G1 must not exceed to be safe for healthcare deployment.

Key concepts​

Key idea

ISO/TS 15066 body contact limits: transient contact at the thorax must not exceed 65N force and 15 kN/m² pressure; limits vary by body region (head most sensitive)

  • Four collaboration modes defined: safety-rated monitored stop, hand guiding, speed/separation monitoring, and power/force limiting — G1 primarily needs mode 4 (P/F limiting)
  • Power and force limiting (mode 4): robot stops or reduces speed if sensed contact force exceeds threshold; requires joint torque sensing or external force sensor
  • Speed and separation monitoring (mode 3): reduce robot speed as human approaches; stops when human within minimum protective distance calculated from robot stopping time
  • CE marking (Europe) and UL certification (North America) for collaborative robots: require third-party risk assessment demonstrating compliance with applicable standards
  • Healthcare-specific standards: IEC 62061 (functional safety of machinery), IEC 60601 (medical electrical equipment) — G1 targeting hospital deployment needs both

Check your understanding​

Try to recall each answer before expanding it.

Q1. What do you know about ISO/TS 15066 body contact limits?

transient contact at the thorax must not exceed 65N force and 15 kN/m² pressure; limits vary by body region (head most sensitive)

Q2. What do you know about Four collaboration modes defined?

safety-rated monitored stop, hand guiding, speed/separation monitoring, and power/force limiting — G1 primarily needs mode 4 (P/F limiting)

Q3. What do you know about Power and force limiting (mode 4)?

robot stops or reduces speed if sensed contact force exceeds threshold; requires joint torque sensing or external force sensor

Q4. What do you know about Speed and separation monitoring (mode 3)?

reduce robot speed as human approaches; stops when human within minimum protective distance calculated from robot stopping time

Q5. What do you know about CE marking (Europe) and UL certification (North America) for…?

CE marking (Europe) and UL certification (North America) for collaborative robots: require third-party risk assessment demonstrating compliance with applicable standards

Next: 8.2 Compliant Control & Force-Limiting Architecture →

Part of Module 8: Safety & Human-Robot Interaction.