ISO TS 15066-2016 PDF

Full title and description

ISO/TS 15066:2016 — Robots and robotic devices — Collaborative robots. This Technical Specification provides safety requirements and guidance for collaborative industrial robot systems and their work environment, supplementing the industrial robot safety standards ISO 10218‑1 and ISO 10218‑2. It addresses collaborative operation modes, power- and force-limited contacts, and design and verification considerations for human–robot shared workspaces.

Abstract

Specifies safety requirements for collaborative industrial robot systems and the work environment and supplements guidance given in ISO 10218‑1 and ISO 10218‑2. It applies to industrial robot systems as described in ISO 10218‑1 and ISO 10218‑2 and is intended to support the safe design, risk assessment and validation of collaborative applications (note: it does not apply to collaborative applications designed prior to its publication).

General information

• Status: Published (confirmed at last systematic review in 2022; scheduled for future revision stage noted by ISO).
• Publication date: 4 February 2016 (first edition, 2016‑02).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 25.040.30 — Industrial robots. Manipulators.
• Edition / version: Edition 1 (2016).
• Number of pages: 33 (ISO edition). National adoptions or translations may include additional front matter and therefore show different page counts (for example, some national publications list 42 pages).

All items above are taken from the ISO bibliographic record and national publication notices.

Scope

Provides safety requirements and guidance specifically for collaborative industrial robot systems where humans and robots share the same workspace. Supplements ISO 10218‑1 and ISO 10218‑2 by addressing collaborative-specific measures such as power and force limitation, speed and separation monitoring, safety-rated monitored stops, hand‑guiding, and requirements for the collaborative workspace and system design. It applies to industrial robot systems as defined in ISO 10218 but does not apply to non‑industrial robots or to collaborative applications designed prior to the Technical Specification's publication.

Key topics and requirements

• Hazard identification and risk assessment for collaborative tasks (task identification, hazard elimination and risk reduction).
• Design requirements for collaborative industrial robot systems and the collaborative workspace (minimizing sharp edges/protrusions, workspace layout).
• Collaborative operation modes and protective measures: safety‑rated monitored stop, hand guiding, speed and separation monitoring, and power-and-force limiting.
• Safety‑related control system performance and stopping functions, including transitions between collaborative and non‑collaborative modes.
• Enabling device requirements, validation and verification methods for force/pressure limits, and guidance based on body‑region pain threshold data used to inform allowable contact forces.
• Guidance for material selection, sensors and protective device integration to reduce injury risk in human–robot contacts.

These topics and specific requirements are described in the Technical Specification and supporting ISO communications about collaborative‑robot safety.

Typical use and users

Primary users include robot OEMs, system integrators, machine designers, safety engineers, testing and certification bodies, manufacturing safety managers, compliance officers, and standards committees. The TS is used when designing, verifying and documenting collaborative robot applications, performing risk assessments, and defining safety functions and validation tests for human–robot shared tasks. It is also referenced by national guidance and technical reports used by regulators and industry groups.

Related standards

Closely linked standards and documents include ISO 10218‑1 and ISO 10218‑2 (industrial robot safety requirements and robot system/integration), general machinery safety and risk assessment standards such as ISO 12100, safety‑related control system standards (for example ISO 13849 series), and national/adopted technical reports such as RIA TR R15.606 (U.S. technical report aligned with ISO/TS 15066). Use of ISO/TS 15066 is intended to be read together with ISO 10218 parts 1 and 2.

Keywords

collaborative robots, cobots, robot safety, power and force limiting, speed and separation monitoring, safety‑rated monitored stop, hand guiding, risk assessment, ISO 10218, robot systems, human–robot interaction.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO/TS 15066:2016 is an ISO Technical Specification that provides safety requirements and practical guidance for collaborative industrial robot systems — i.e., robots designed to share a workspace with humans under defined safety conditions.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers collaborative operation modes, risk assessment and hazard identification, safety‑related control requirements, workspace design, stopping functions, enabling devices, validation methods for force/pressure limits, and guidance informed by pain‑threshold data for different body regions. It supplements ISO 10218‑1 and ISO 10218‑2.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Robot manufacturers, system integrators, safety engineers, testing laboratories, compliance managers and regulators use ISO/TS 15066 when designing, validating and documenting collaborative robot applications. Industry guidance and national technical reports also reference it.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The ISO bibliographic record shows ISO/TS 15066:2016 as published and last reviewed/confirmed in 2022; it remains the active Technical Specification but is listed in ISO’s lifecycle with a future revision stage (i.e., review/revision activity is expected). Users should check national bodies or ISO for any new revisions or replacement documents.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is a Technical Specification that supplements the ISO 10218 series (Parts 1 and 2) for industrial robot safety and is referenced alongside other machine- and control‑system safety standards (e.g., ISO 12100, ISO 13849). Some national reports and RIA technical reports map ISO/TS 15066 requirements into local guidance.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Collaborative robots (cobots), robot safety, power and force limiting, speed and separation monitoring, safety‑rated monitored stop, hand guiding, risk assessment, ISO 10218.