The New Global Robot Standard Redefines Collaboration

A major shift is happening in industrial robotics. The new international robot safety standards — including the revised ANSI/RIA R15.06 and upcoming ISO 10218 updates — have officially moved away from the term collaborative robot (“cobot”) and toward the concept of a collaborative application. This change redefines how safety, risk assessment, and integration are handled in human-robot workspaces. For European companies, this means a cultural and regulatory shift in how automation is evaluated and deployed. At ZTEC, we’ve always embraced this mindset — focusing not on “the robot,” but on the total, validated, and safe application.

The New Standard: From Robot Type to Application Safety

In 2025, the ANSI/A3 R15.06-2024 standard was revised — the first major update in more than a decade. This U.S. standard along with the international ISO 10218 updates, reshapes how we think about industrial and collaborative robots.

So, what’s the key message?

“It’s not the robot. It’s the application.”
Aaron Prather, Six Degrees of Robotics

This sentiment captures the heart of the new framework. The term “cobot” — once used to describe inherently safe robots designed for human collaboration — is now considered outdated. Safety no longer depends on the robot itself but on how it’s used: the tools, speed, workspace, programming, and interaction all determine whether a robot system is collaborative or not. Which for many, but not all regrettably, has always been the intuitive approach.

Key Changes Introduced by the New Standard

So what is new with the revised standard? 6 key changes should be noted.

1. Goodbye to “Cobot” — Hello to “Collaborative Application”
The new standard removes the concept of a “collaborative robot” as a robot type. Instead, the standard defines collaborative applications, meaning any robot system — traditional or lightweight — can operate collaboratively if its design, risk assessment, and validation support safe interaction.

2. Application Classes and Stricter Validation
Robot systems will now be classified into Class I and Class II categories, with Class I systems subject to the most stringent safety validation. Many setups previously sold as “cobots” may now fall under Class I, requiring detailed pressure testing, power and force limiting (PFL), speed and separation monitoring (SSM), safety verification, documentation of compliance and assessing network risks (ISO 10218-2:2025).

3. Mandatory Pressure and Force Testing
Under the new framework, any collaborative application must include physical validation of contact forces between humans and the robot. This ensures measured, verifiable compliance — not just theoretical safety.

4. New Terminology and Functional Safety Concepts
“Safety-rated monitored stop” becomes “monitored standstill.” “Safeguarded space” now includes dynamic protective systems such as scanners and laser monitoring, not just physical fencing. These changes recognize how flexible automation and digital safety tools have evolved.

5. Cybersecurity Requirements
The updated standards also acknowledge the rise of connected automation. Integrators must now consider cyber risks and protect robot systems from network intrusions and unauthorized access.

6. Holistic System Responsibility
The standard shifts accountability from robot manufacturers to integrators and system designers — those who bring together robots, tooling, sensors, and safety logic into a complete application.

In short, the idea that the “cobot” is inherently safe is no longer a valid assumption or starting point. The robot itself is no longer considered “safe” or “unsafe” — the safety resides in the application’s design, validation, and documentation.

So, Why Does This Change Matter?

Improved Safety and Transparency
By focusing on measurable validation and detailed risk assessment, the new approach eliminates assumptions. It ensures safety is demonstrated through data and testing rather than marketing claims. This gives end-users greater confidence in collaborative automation.

Prevents Misuse of the “Cobot” Label
For years, robots marketed as “cobots” were sometimes installed without sufficient safety analysis. Candidly illustrated with a running joke about cobots “juggling” chainsaws still being “completely safe” (Aaron Prather, LinkedIn). The new framework closes this gap by requiring every collaborative scenario to undergo task-specific evaluation.

Enables Smarter, More Flexible Workspaces
Dynamic safeguarding and advanced sensors allow humans and robots to share space more freely, without compromising safety. This is especially valuable in modern, high-mix, low-volume production environments which are common here in Europe, especially Denmark.

Incorporates Cybersecurity
By integrating cyber protection into safety standards, the new framework recognizes that a compromised network can be as dangerous as a physical fault. This makes robot safety more holistic and future-ready.

Aligns with Global and European Standards
The updated ANSI/A3 standard is aligned with the revised ISO 10218-1 and -2 standards. This coming harmonization will streamline compliance for European manufacturers and integrators, laying the groundwork for a new shared standard and understanding.

Shifting Culture and Compliance

Denmark has long been a global leader in collaborative robotics, thanks to strong innovation hubs like Odense. But with the new standard, all of Europe’s understanding of “collaboration” must evolve.

From Marketing to Measurable Safety
The European robotics community — including certification bodies and integrators — will now need to shift focus from promoting “safe cobots” to documenting “safe applications.” That means providing clear test results, validation data, and system-level compliance reports.

Regulatory Implications
Public tenders and industrial buyers may soon require evidence of Class I or II certification and physical test data — not just a CE mark.

Cultural Impact
This also represents a mindset change: collaborative robotics is no longer about proximity but about designing trust between humans and machines — through proof, not promises. That shift aligns well with Europe’s data-driven, ethical approach to automation.

Conclusion: A Safer and More Transparent Era for Robotics

The retirement of the term cobot marks more than a linguistic change — it represents a maturity milestone for the robotics industry. Collaboration is no longer defined by marketing or mechanical design, but by measured safety, verified applications, and responsible engineering.

For Europe, this transition strengthens trust in automation and lays the foundation for safer, more adaptive workplaces.

At ZTEC, we welcome this shift. Our philosophy has always been that true collaboration happens not when robots and humans simply work side by side — but when they do so safely, intelligently, and transparently.

We’re proud to already be integrating solutions that embody the principles of the new standard — ensuring that collaboration is not just possible, but provably safe. This is the level of dedication we have always expected and will continue to expect from ourselves, and our partners.

A New Perspective: Race to be the (provable) safest

While it may take a while for this linguistic change to take effect, leaving “cobots” behind in favor of “collaborative applications”, we expect that the new sentiment and standard will strengthen the quality and safety of robot applications by forcing a “race to be the (provable) safest”.

A race that quickly will force the major “cobot” players to acquire the new Class I category to stay at the frontier. Strong marketing won’t be enough anymore; mastering the holistic approach, technical prowess, and provable safety considerations and functions will be the new gap dividing the good from the great.

At ZTEC we strive to bring automation components and solutions that are smart, accessible and user friendly. We represent key suppliers around the world who develop cutting-edge industrial robots, robots for collaborative applications, and machine vision.

Are you interested in learning how you can improve the productivity and efficiency of your production cost-effectively; or learning what the new robot safety standards means for your future collaborative application? Contact us at +45 71 61 50 00 or info@ztec.dk.