Robotics Testing: Ensuring Safety, Performance, and Compliance in Automated Systems

Introduction: The Criticality of Validation in the Age of Automation

Robotic systems are rapidly transitioning from controlled factory cages to dynamic, collaborative environments, sharing space with humans in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and services. This expansion of applications, particularly into “cobots” (collaborative robots), introduces profound engineering and regulatory challenges. A robot is not merely a machine; it is a complex, integrated system combining mechanical precision, sophisticated software control, and electrical safety features—all of which must be meticulously validated.

Robotics testing is the critical discipline that confirms a robot’s performance, guarantees human safety, and secures market access by proving compliance with international standards. For manufacturers, integrators, and specialized contract laboratories, understanding the multilayered testing hierarchy—from functional safety to electromagnetic compatibility—is non-negotiable for mitigating risk and ensuring reliable operation. This guide details the core technical imperatives of modern robotics validation.

Part I: Functional Safety and Collaborative Robotics Standards

The highest priority in robotics testing is functional safety. Standards are designed to protect human operators from physical harm, especially as robots move from isolated work cells to collaborative spaces.

ISO 10218: Industrial Robot Safety

The foundation of industrial robot safety is the ISO 10218 standard (Parts 1 and 2), which outlines the requirements for both the robot (Part 1) and the integrated system (Part 2).

• Safety-Rated Monitored Stop: Ensures the robot can safely stop motion when a human enters the work cell, and maintains that stop (even if power is maintained) until the human departs.
• Speed and Separation Monitoring: Requires the system to dynamically adjust the robot’s speed based on the distance to the human operator, ensuring that the human remains outside a critical protective separation distance.
• Power and Force Limiting (PFL): The fundamental concept for cobots. This allows the robot to make physical contact with a human, but only within established, safe limits of speed and force, preventing injury to vulnerable body parts (e.g., head, torso).

ISO/TS 15066: The Cobot Safety Benchmark

The technical specification ISO/TS 15066 supplements ISO 10218 by providing critical, detailed guidance on Power and Force Limiting (PFL) applications for collaborative robots.

• Force Thresholds: This standard defines specific maximum permissible forces for different parts of the human body (e.g., 150 N for the cranium, 280 N for the thorax) that the robot must not exceed during contact or impact.
• Quasi-Static vs. Transient Contact: Testing must differentiate between quasi-static contact (a crushing or clamping action) and transient contact (a momentary impact). The force limits for transient contact are generally higher, as the body can absorb momentary impacts more safely.

Contract laboratories use force-sensing equipment and specialized test apparatus that replicate human body parts to measure the precise forces exerted by the robot at various speeds and contact points, ensuring compliance with these highly specific PFL limits.

Part II: Performance, Precision, and Repeatability Testing

Beyond safety, a robot’s commercial value is determined by its accuracy and repeatability. These metrics are quantified using standards like ISO 9283.

1. Accuracy vs. Repeatability

• Accuracy: Measures how close the robot’s tool center point (TCP) comes to a specific programmed target point in space. This is crucial for tasks like welding or drilling, where the robot must precisely hit a pre-defined coordinate.
• Repeatability (Precision): Measures how closely the robot can return to the exact same point multiple times. This is often more critical than absolute accuracy in industrial settings, as slight offsets can be compensated for during programming, but variability cannot. High repeatability is essential for pick-and-place tasks and assembly lines.

2. ISO 9283 Performance Testing

ISO 9283 mandates standardized procedures for measuring key performance characteristics:

• Position Accuracy (AP): Measured using laser trackers or advanced coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) to determine the discrepancy between the commanded position and the attained position in three dimensions.
• Orientation Accuracy (AO): Measures the error in the tool’s final angular position.
• Path Accuracy (APT): Measures the deviation of the tool from its intended linear or circular trajectory during movement.

These tests involve continuous, dynamic measurement throughout the robot’s entire workspace (kinematic envelope) and across various speeds to generate a comprehensive performance profile for end-users and systems integrators.

Part III: Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Testing

Robots are power-intensive systems that contain complex motor controls, high-speed microprocessors, and drive electronics, making them significant sources of electromagnetic interference (EMI). They also need to be immune to external interference from nearby machinery.

The EMC Mandate

All robotics equipment must comply with global EMC directives, primarily the EU EMC Directive and FCC Part 15 in the U.S. Testing covers both emissions and immunity:

1. Emissions Testing: Performed in a semi-anechoic chamber, this measures the RF energy radiated by the robot (e.g., from its motor drive cables, controllers, or housing) and the conducted emissions carried back onto the power lines. Failure in emissions testing can disrupt neighboring wireless communications or sensitive instruments.
2. Immunity Testing: Confirms the robot can operate reliably when subjected to external disturbances, such as Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), Radiated RF Fields, and Electrical Fast Transients (EFT)—common occurrences in industrial power environments. A robot failing immunity testing might experience spurious stops or uncontrolled movements, posing a safety risk.

For robotics, the specific EMC standards often stem from the industrial environment (e.g., IEC 61000 series) rather than consumer electronics, requiring higher thresholds for immunity.

Part IV: Specialized Testing and Regulatory Oversight

As robots move into new domains, specialized testing protocols become mandatory for regulatory clearance.

1. Medical Robotics (IEC 60601)

Robots used in surgical assistance, diagnostics, or rehabilitation must adhere to the stringent IEC 60601 series of standards.

• Safety and Essential Performance: This standard mandates risk management specific to the patient environment, focusing on minimizing electrical shock hazards, thermal risks, and ensuring the robot’s fundamental functions (e.g., maintaining position) operate under defined fault conditions.
• Software Validation: Requires rigorous verification and validation of the control software and operating system to ensure deterministic and safe operation, a critical component of FDA submission.

2. Environmental and Durability Testing

Robots intended for harsh environments (e.g., outdoor monitoring, deep-sea exploration, food processing) must undergo extensive environmental qualification:

• Ingress Protection (IP) Testing: As defined by IEC 60529, this confirms resistance to dust and water (e.g., IP67 for complete dust-tightness and temporary immersion) to validate sealing integrity.
• Climatic and Shock Testing: Includes thermal cycling, high humidity exposure, and intense vibration and shock tests (e.g., MIL-STD-810) to simulate extreme transport and operational conditions.

Part V: The Contract Laboratory’s Role in Robotics Compliance

Robotics testing demands specialized, large-scale facilities—such as high-precision laser trackers, large-volume anechoic chambers, and force-torque sensors—that are often too costly for manufacturers to maintain in-house.

Accreditation and Comprehensive V&V

An accredited contract laboratory provides the necessary third-party assurance through:

• ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation: Mandatory proof that the lab’s CMMs, force sensors, and UTMs are calibrated and that test methodologies comply with ISO 9283 and ISO 10218.
• Simultaneous Compliance: The lab can concurrently execute tests for functional safety (ISO 10218), performance (ISO 9283), EMC (IEC 61000), and electrical safety (UL/IEC), streamlining the path to global market access.

Risk Mitigation and Documentation

The contract laboratory acts as a regulatory expert, generating the comprehensive technical files and reports required by international regulators. This crucial documentation package proves that the manufacturer has identified the hazards, implemented appropriate safety functions, and validated the system’s performance, fundamentally mitigating the manufacturer’s liability risk.

Conclusion: Verified Robotics for a Safe Future

Robotics testing is an evolving, multi-disciplinary field that ensures automated systems are not only efficient but fundamentally safe and reliable when deployed alongside humans. The core of this validation rests on strict adherence to standards like ISO 10218 for functional safety and ISO 9283 for performance repeatability. As robots become smarter and more integrated, the testing imperative expands to cover complex scenarios like Power and Force Limiting (ISO/TS 15066) and advanced EMC immunity.

Manufacturers must partner with accredited contract laboratories to access the specialized equipment and technical compliance expertise necessary to navigate this regulatory landscape. By doing so, they ensure their robots are verified, safe, and ready to meet the demanding precision and safety requirements of the automated world.

If your organization requires certified robotics testing, including functional safety validation (ISO 10218), performance accuracy (ISO 9283), EMC testing, or medical device clearance, submit your testing request today and connect with our network of accredited robotics testing laboratories.