Mobile service robots have been operating in the industry for decades. Recently, they have also entered exhibitions, restaurants, and hotels.

Operating robots in an environment, interacting with humans, is always challenging to avoid safety conflicts between coexisting robots and human beings. Additionally, a clear communication has to be established, to create a harmonic environment, where the humans are not being stressed by unforeseen behavior of the robots.

Normally, this can be solved smoothly, by communicating via human senses like sight and hearing, in combination with the robot's safety rated collision handling system.

However, operating robots in an environment with elderly people, sometimes with impaired, cognitive and physical skills, and a high risk for irreversible injuries, like e.g., a broken hip, if a collision with the robot causes a fall to the floor, is more challenging. This, both due to the risk for safety conflicts, in addition to the high consequence for an irreversible injury when collisions occur.

International regulations represent the formal requirements to the mobile robot systems. However, due to the challenging conditions, by operating robots in coexistence with elderly people, there will always be a residual risk for unresolved safety conflicts and potential accidents.

The only remaining solution, except putting the robot into a corner and switching off its power, is to prove and document formally, that you have done all possible risk mitigations.

Based upon our solid industrial experience with complex, open environments with humans and robots, PPM will the required technology, analysis methods and formal documentation for risk mitigation, to reduce the residual risk, and possible consequences to a minimum.

The patients' safety, is our moral and formal commitment!