Robot Safety is Now 3D
Sonair unveils world's first safety-certified 3D ultrasonic sensor for human-robot collaboration.
While the AI boom has made robots significantly more capable, the accompanying safety infrastructure has struggled to keep pace. Traditional 2D laser scanners, which are widely used to define safety perimeters for most mobile robotic systems, are unable to detect people and obstacles above or below a single plane.
"The bottleneck to safe human-robot coexistence isn't intelligence or speed," said Knut Sandven, CEO of Sonair. "It's safe perception; knowing reliably under any condition, that a human is nearby. This milestone certification is the first time a 3D sensor has been independently verified to meet that bar using sound instead of light -- a new sensing modality that complements cameras where they fall short."
Designed for autonomous mobile robots and industrial automation, ADAR One delivers 180°×180° 3D spatial awareness, detecting people and obstacles at all heights, eliminating the limitations and blind spots that define today's 2D safety systems. Easy integration with a tiny footprint enables ADAR (acoustic detection and ranging) technology to be embedded flush into virtually any robot form factor, including humanoids.
VIDEO: Demo of ADAR One: The safety-certified 3D sensor for robotics
"ADAR One does not merely replace a sensor. It introduces a new safety layer for robotics, a certified 3D perceptual foundation that sits beneath any camera, AI stack, or motion system, independently verifying that the space around a robot is safe," said Sandven.
ADAR One is already in series production and shipping on deployed industrial robots. Since the introduction of the beta version of ADAR one year ago, more than 80 global robotics companies have rigorously evaluated ADAR through Sonair's test program within. For many, safety certification is the moment they have been waiting for.
The Certification
ADAR One was assessed as a human protection sensor according to the very demanding IEC 61496 standard for electrosensitive protection devices. In addition, the product meets two foundational standards: IEC 61508, the functional safety standard for electronic safety systems in high-risk industrial environments, and ISO 13849, the universal standard for safety-related parts of control systems.
Furthermore, ADAR is the first safety-certified embedded system to be built in Rust, a programming language especially designed for performance, safety, and reliability.
"This is precisely the role ADAR One is designed to play as a drop-in, pre-certified safety layer," said Sandven. "What used to be an engineering burden is now transformed into a commercial differentiator for all stakeholders."
Availability
ADAR One, the safety-certified variant designed for autonomous robots and machine safety applications requiring SIL 2, PL d compliance, is available now.
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