Overview
ISO/TR 23482-2:2019 - "Robotics - Application of ISO 13482 - Part 2: Application guidelines" is a Technical Report from ISO that explains how to apply ISO 13482 (safety requirements for personal care robots). The document clarifies scope, definitions and safety concepts that enable close human‑robot interaction and permitted human‑robot contact in personal care robot applications. It is intended to help designers, manufacturers and stakeholders - including those with limited risk‑assessment experience - design personal care robots in conformity with ISO 13482.
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and definitions: Clarifies what constitutes a service robot and a personal care robot, and distinguishes personal care robots from medical, industrial and household robots. Important robot types covered include mobile servant robots, physical assistant robots and person carrier robots.
- Risk assessment & risk reduction guidance: Practical guidance on applying ISO 13482’s risk reduction methodology, with advice targeted at users with limited prior experience in safety assessment.
- Human‑robot interaction concepts: Explanation of terms and safety requirements introduced to allow close human‑robot interaction and intended physical contact, and guidance on interaction without guards.
- Autonomy and functionality: Guidance on applying safety principles to autonomous functions and on how autonomy affects risk assessment and safety‑related control systems.
- Working examples: Detailed example risk assessments and safety‑related control systems for representative applications (e.g., mobile servant robots - high and low risk, restraint and restraint‑free physical assistant robots, and person carrier robots) to illustrate application of ISO 13482.
Practical applications - who uses this standard
- Robot manufacturers and designers developing personal care robots (assistive devices, mobile servers, person transporters).
- Safety engineers responsible for risk assessment, safety‑related control systems and conformity with ISO 13482.
- Product managers & regulatory compliance teams evaluating scope, gaps and overlaps with medical or industrial standards.
- Healthcare and eldercare technology developers integrating physical assistance or transport functions while maintaining user safety.
- Standards committees and testing laboratories using the guidance to interpret ISO 13482 requirements consistently.
Related standards
- ISO 13482:2014 - Safety requirements for personal care robots (primary normative standard).
- ISO 8373:2012 - Robot vocabulary and definitions referenced by the TR.
- ISO 10218 and other robot safety standards - guidance in the TR on gaps and overlaps with industrial‑robot standards.
- IEC/medical device standards (e.g., IEC 60601 series) where overlap with medical robots occurs.
ISO/TR 23482-2:2019 is a practical companion to ISO 13482 that emphasizes real‑world application, clear definitions, risk‑assessment walkthroughs and worked examples - making it a useful resource for creating safe, standards‑conforming personal care robots.
