3D Safety Sensor Technology for Human-Robot Interaction Certified 3D Ultrasound Sensor for Safe Person Detection

Related Vendors

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

The Norwegian deep-tech startup Sonair is launching Adar One, the first safety-certified 3D ultrasound sensor for human-robot interaction. This marks the first time that safety-certified 3D ultrasound sensor technology is available for robotics and automation applications.

Until now, many safety concepts for mobile robotic systems have been based on 2D laser scanners. These only capture a single plane and cannot detect people or obstacles above or below the scan area. Adar One extends safety-relevant perception to the entire three-dimensional space.

"The bottleneck for a safe coexistence of humans and robots is neither intelligence nor speed," says Knut Sandven, CEO of Sonair. "What matters is reliable perception of the environment—the ability to consistently detect whether a human is nearby under all conditions. With this certification, it has been independently confirmed for the first time that a 3D sensor meets these requirements—using sound instead of light. This creates a new measurement principle that complements cameras where they reach their limits."

Gallery

Gallery with 8 images

The sensor was developed for autonomous mobile robots and industrial automation applications and enables 180 × 180° comprehensive three-dimensional environmental perception. People and obstacles can be detected at different heights, eliminating the limitations and blind spots of current 2D safety systems. Thanks to its compact design, the Adar technology (Acoustic Detection and Ranging) can be seamlessly integrated into a wide range of robot types—including humanoid robots.

"Adar One does not simply replace a sensor," explains Sandven. "The technology creates a new level of safety for robotics: a certified three-dimensional perception base that independently verifies, apart from cameras, AI systems, or motion controllers, that the space around the robot is safe."

The sensor is already in serial production and is used in industrial robotic systems. Since the introduction of the beta version in May 2025, more than 80 robotics companies worldwide have intensively evaluated the technology as part of the Sonair testing program. For many of them, the CE certification marks the decisive step toward market launch.

Certification according to IEC 61496, IEC 61508, and ISO 13849

Adar One has been evaluated as a sensor for personal protection in accordance with the stringent IEC 61496 standard for contactless protective devices. Additionally, the system meets two fundamental safety standards: IEC 61508, the standard for functional safety of electronic safety systems in high-risk industrial environments, and ISO 13849, the key standard for safety-related parts of control systems.

The result: Adar achieves SIL 2 (Safety Integrity Level 2) and Performance Level d (PL d) and has a probability of dangerous failure (PFH) of less than 1.5 × 10⁻⁷ per hour. Additionally, an EU type examination certificate for Adar was issued by exida. As a notified body under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, exida assessed not only the mentioned standards but also Adar's compliance with the essential health and safety requirements of the European Machinery Directive. Furthermore, it is the first safety-certified embedded system developed in Rust—a programming language specifically designed for performance, safety, and reliability.

Interview With Zhaopeng Chen, CEO of Agile Robots

Physical AI is Revolutionizing Industrial Robotics

Importance for robotics manufacturers, Integrators, and Users

With the certification, manufacturers of autonomous robotic systems, system integrators, and end users now have access to safety-certified 3D ultrasound sensor technology for the first time. The technology enables three-dimensional environment perception for safety-critical applications, thereby expanding the previously predominantly two-dimensional safety concepts of mobile robotics.

Thanks to its compact design, the sensor can be integrated into a wide range of robotic systems—from autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and automated guided vehicles (AGV) to humanoid robots. This opens up new possibilities for operators to deploy autonomous systems within certified safety architectures and to ensure safe human-robot interactions even in complex environments.

"Exactly this role is what Adar One is meant to fulfill as a ready-to-use, pre-certified safety layer," says Sandven. "What was previously a technical challenge can now be integrated much more easily into new and existing robotics platforms."