WHITE PAPER: SAFETY FOR HUMANOID ROBOTS
by Dr. Florian Weißhardt, Dr. Tim Fröhlich, and Andrija Feher
Humanoid robots are fundamentally changing industrial and service-oriented automation.
With their use in open, people-oriented environments, the functional safety of humanoid robots is becoming the focus of technological and regulatory discussions. Classic safety concepts from industrial robotics—especially pure shutdown mechanisms—are no longer sufficient for bipedal, AI-controlled systems.
This white paper presents a new approach to safety and security for humanoid robots with the Positron Safety AI architecture. The focus is on two key risk dimensions: the mechanical instability of humanoid robots as physical systems and the non-deterministic decision-making of modern AI models. Both factors pose fundamental challenges to existing safety standards.
Positron combines certified multi-axis safe motion, volumetric human-robot interaction, and AI-based behavioral safety into a holistic safety architecture. Instead of a simple "safe stop," the system enables active stabilization, controlled motion limitation, and context-dependent safety decisions—even in the event of power loss or primary AI malfunction.
The white paper explains how safety for humanoid robots can be redefined: from extended safety zones ("fall zones") and safe movement functions to independent safety AI as a monitoring level. At the same time, it shows a practical, standards-oriented path to safe human-robot collaboration, aligned with upcoming standards and regulatory requirements.
Download white paper: Safety for Humanoid Robots
👉 The complete white paper on humanoid robots and functional safety is available for download exclusively after registration.
Gain valuable insights into the next generation of safety architectures for humanoid robots.
