Conference Focuses on Practical Robot Safety
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) will hold the 2026 International Robot Safety Conference (IRSC) from November 3 to 5 at Huntington Place in Detroit, Michigan. The event will bring together robotics engineers, safety specialists, manufacturers, and system integrators to discuss evolving safety standards and their implementation in industrial environments.
With Detroit serving as a major manufacturing hub, the conference provides a relevant setting for examining how safety requirements affect real-world automation projects. A major focus will be the updated R15.06-2025 robot safety standard and its implications for existing installations, collaborative robots, autonomous mobile robots, and emerging robotic technologies.
Industry Experts Address Emerging Safety Requirements
The conference will feature specialists from Amazon Robotics, ABB, NVIDIA, Universal Robots, Yaskawa America, SICK, Procter & Gamble, and other organizations. Their sessions will connect regulatory requirements with engineering practices and operational challenges.
Key topics include:
- New requirements for robot users: Amazon Robotics representatives Jamison Harrell-Latham and Krupal Patel will discuss R15.06 Part 3 for industrial robots and R15.08 Part 3 for mobile robots.
- Humanoid and legged robot safety: Experts from Agility Robotics and Boston Dynamics will examine safety challenges associated with dynamically stable mobile robots.
- Physical AI and robot safety: NVIDIA's Riccardo Mariani will explore safety standardization and practical applications of AI-driven robotics.
- Safety in existing installations: Procter & Gamble's Mark Lewandowski will discuss methods for auditing and maintaining safety in installed robotic systems.
Additional sessions will cover risk assessment, hazards in conventional robot cells, system integrator responsibilities, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's perspective on industrial robot safety.
What the Updated Standards Mean for Automation Projects
The development of mobile, collaborative, and AI-enabled robots is changing how manufacturers evaluate workplace safety. Traditional safeguards, such as fixed barriers and interlocked access points, remain relevant, but they may not address every risk associated with mobile platforms or robots operating in less structured environments.
For automation engineers, the practical challenge is to translate standards into measurable engineering controls. This includes identifying hazards during system design, evaluating operating modes, defining safe stopping behavior, and validating protective functions before equipment enters production.
Existing installations also deserve particular attention. A new standard does not automatically mean every installed robot must be replaced. However, manufacturers should assess their systems against applicable requirements, considering changes to equipment, production processes, risk exposure, and local regulations.
Engineering Insight: Safety Must Extend Beyond the Robot
Robot safety cannot be evaluated solely by examining the robot arm or its controller. The complete application includes end-of-arm tooling, workpieces, conveyors, sensors, safety PLCs, communication networks, operator access, and interactions with surrounding equipment.
This becomes more important as factories adopt autonomous mobile robots and AI-enabled systems. Engineers need to consider changing operating conditions, human-machine interaction, foreseeable misuse, and the behavior of the complete system under fault conditions.
A practical approach is to integrate risk assessment into every project phase, from concept design and equipment selection to commissioning, maintenance, and operational changes. Safety validation should also be documented so that plant personnel can verify protective measures after modifications or troubleshooting.
For manufacturers, the value of the IRSC lies in connecting standards development with decisions made on the factory floor. Applying that knowledge consistently can help engineering teams identify gaps before they become operational problems.
