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The International Robot Safety Conference (IRSC), organised by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), took place in Texas on 3–5 November 2025. The conference highlighted how safety requirements are evolving in one of the fastest-growing segments of industrial automation. With 28 speakers, more than 20 exhibitors and over 100 visitors, the event covered a wide range of topics, including updates to the ISO 10218 international safety standard (industrial robots), humanoid robots, quadruped robots and wheeled AMRs, functional safety, the Cyber Resilience Act, the AI Act and the Machinery Regulation.
These topics effectively brought to the fore how the safety and standards communities are addressing new applications, such as humanoid robots and collaborative robots, to ensure these technologies can be used safely and at scale in the future.
Clara Sipes, a Market Analyst at Interact Analysis specialising in the industrial automation sector, shared the developments from the 2025 International Robot Safety Conference that will shape the future of safe automation:
Humanoid and quadruped robots attract attention
Humanoid and quadruped robots were a major topic of discussion at the conference, given expectations that they will be deployed at scale in the future. The unique mechanical characteristics associated with legged robotics raise new challenges around stability, fall dynamics and unpredictable movement.
New standards such as ISO 26058-1 and ISO 25785-1 are being developed to address both statically and dynamically stable mobile robots, taking into account the unique risks associated with these platforms. Unlike statically stable machines, dynamically stable machines such as humanoid robots pose a risk of falling when power is cut.
Early developments in this area are also included in TR R15.108, which examines the challenges associated with bipedal, quadruped and wheel-balancing mobile robots. Starting work on this standard now will ensure that guidance is ready as the technology scales.
Important updates to ISO 10218
A full session of the IRSC was dedicated to presenting the revisions to ISO 10218-1 (industrial robots) and 10218-2 (industrial robot applications and robot cells).
The main changes focus on new developments not found in the current standards, such as risk-based collaboration, explicit functional safety requirements, structured life-cycle coverage and expanded documentation obligations.
One of the most notable changes is the removal of references to ‘collaborative modes’. Under the revision, collaborative robots should be assessed on the basis of the application, not the robot alone. Each application carries its own risks, and the standard now encourages assessment of the entire environment in which the robot operates.
For manufacturers, these changes will affect product development, documentation and functional safety architecture. For integrators, the emphasis on robot cell safety will also increase the importance of comprehensive safety implemented through risk assessments.
Functional safety becomes a system-level expectation
Functional safety was highlighted in many sessions, particularly as safety functionality is increasingly integrated into motors, drives and controllers. Standards such as ISO 13849 and IEC 62061 remain the foundation for integrating functional safety with industrial robotics.
Key topics included:
- Evaluation of Safety-Related Parts of Control Systems (SRP/CS),
- The growing prevalence of functional safety in robotic cells,
- Safety design at input, logic and output levels,
- Understanding Safety Integrity Levels (SIL) within specific safety functions,
For motor and drive manufacturers, this reinforces the trend towards integrating functional safety capabilities to support a comprehensive safety system.
Cyber Resilience Act, AI Act and Machinery Regulation
Regulatory changes in Europe were showcased at the IRSC, notably the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA), the AI Act and the Machinery Regulation. These regulations are shaping the future of industrial automation by creating a unified framework for safety, cybersecurity and risk management.
The central theme of these regulations is the new vulnerabilities arising as industrial automation products become increasingly network-connected. To comply with these regulations, products must be designed with cyber resilience in mind throughout their life cycle, structured risk assessments must be applied to AI functions, and products must meet updated machinery compliance requirements that now formally include both AI and cybersecurity considerations. As these rules come into force, suppliers and machine builders will face greater expectations around documentation, validation and ongoing support. This will become particularly evident as the CRA and the Machinery Regulation become mandatory in 2027. Ultimately, this will create a more integrated and stringent regulatory ecosystem governing how digital and AI-enabled technologies are developed and used in industrial automation.
How will the regulatory changes affect the market?
In discussions with industrial robot vendors about the potential impact of the forthcoming ISO 10218 standard on the robotics market, most companies believe it will significantly affect their R&D efforts, and some expect production costs to rise because of the new requirements. However, it is noted that this challenge will be shared across the industry, as all manufacturers must comply with these requirements. As the new standard will come into force in Europe in 2027 and later in the US, many robot vendors in these regions have already begun developing solutions to comply with it. Emerging robot suppliers in Asia have also begun to examine the new standards; some are developing solutions for the European market, while others remain in a wait-and-see phase.
With the new standard adopting the term ‘collaborative applications’ instead of ‘collaborative robots’ (cobots), we expect cobots to continue to move into more traditional industrial robot applications. These include palletising, welding and inspection, all of which have seen rapid growth over the past two years. In 2025, cobots are expected to account for just under 10% of global industrial robot shipments; however, our latest Industrial Robots report forecasts that this share will rise to 16% by 2030.
In the humanoid robot space, the lack of safety regulations and technical standards is one of the most frequently cited barriers to large-scale adoption. Currently, when using humanoid robots, particularly bipedal robots, users must bear the risks of personal injury and equipment damage caused by robots falling. An established system of standards for dynamically stable robots, including standards such as ISO 26058-1 and ISO 25785-1, will effectively address such concerns. In addition, improved standards that can be used as a reference will help manufacturers to accelerate technical iterations and expand production scale.
Beyond the motion stability of the hardware, the strong correlation between humanoid robots and AI means that oversight at the AI level is equally important. Data collection and model training represent the standard processes that AI-powered humanoid robots typically go through before being deployed in the real world, so attention must be paid to mechanisms for protecting private domain data. After deployment, robot operations based on AI algorithms may also raise users’ concerns about cybersecurity. For this reason, improving AI regulations also contributes to the healthy development of humanoid robots.
What should manufacturers and integrators do?
Prepare early for upcoming standard revisions
With many regulations coming into force over the next few years, organisations that begin adapting now will avoid costly redesigns and rushed compliance efforts later. Early preparation will allow manufacturers to phase in new documentation practices, update product development roadmaps and make adjustments gradually rather than reactively. This proactive approach will not only reduce risk but also enable companies to bring products to market faster than competitors waiting for compliant products.
Move to built-in safety functionality to meet future requirements
Safety functionality will come to be seen as a requirement rather than a useful add-on. Manufacturers that start considering safety in the design process now will gain a competitive advantage in the approval process. Customers are also aware of the upcoming regulatory changes and tend to buy products designed with these changes in mind.
Strengthen cybersecurity and AI compliance processes
As more devices become network-connected and AI becomes more common in industrial automation products, cybersecurity and AI will play a crucial role. Companies will have to restructure by setting up teams focused on delivering the updates needed to comply with standards. In addition, documentation processes should be established now so that staff can be trained with compliance in mind. Ultimately, this will reduce exposure to cyber incidents while ensuring compliance with the CRA, the AI Act and the Machinery Regulation.
Key to success
The International Robot Safety Conference highlighted how quickly the safety landscape is evolving, with new standards reflecting innovative robotics technologies and tightening global regulations. Staying ahead of standards, investing in safety architectures and preparing for new compliance demands will be key to ensuring safe and scalable robotics applications in the years ahead.
For more information on the Industrial Robots report, download the report brochure here or contact Clara Sipes directly.
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