Robot / Autonomous Machine
Physical autonomous equipment; robotics penalty applies
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
3 bundles · 4 layers · 6 findings · 12 questions
Identity and configuration Which machine it is and how it is configured.
Machine and configuration
Model, serial number, tooling and software.
Unit identity
The individual machine with its type and serial number.
- Which make, model and serial number does this machine have?
- Which end effectors, sensors and payloads are fitted now?
Control software
The software and versions that control it.
- Which control software and versions run on the machine?
- When was the software last changed, and was the change validated?
Safety and autonomy What the machine may do and how it is kept safe.
Operating envelope
Workspace, autonomy level and limits.
Autonomy and mode
The current mode and level of autonomy.
- Is the machine in manual, collaborative, supervised or autonomous mode?
- Which tasks may it perform without human confirmation?
Safety functions
Protective stops, zones and speed limits.
- Which safety functions, zones and speed or force limits are configured?
- When were the safety functions last tested?
Conformity
Risk assessment and certification.
Risk assessment and conformity
The documented risk assessment and declarations.
- Is there a current risk assessment for this installation and use?
- Which safety standards and conformity declarations apply?
Operation and events What the machine did.
Operating log
Tasks, faults and incidents.
Incident record
Faults, near misses and collisions with their causes.
- Which faults, near misses or contacts with people occurred, and when?
- What was the cause, and what was changed afterwards?
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- World Models
- Category
- Physical world and living systems
- Entry kind
- standalone-mm
- Navigation path
- NAV.PHY.OBJ.ROB
- Domain
- PHY.OBJ.ROB
- Industry
- Cross-industry
- Tags
- robotautonomousmachinephy.obj.rob
What it is Filled
A robot or autonomous machine is physical equipment that senses its surroundings and moves or acts in the physical world under programmed or learned control, with some degree of autonomy. It includes industrial arms, mobile robots, service robots and autonomous ground or aerial machines. Ordinary machinery without autonomous control belongs to equipment, and the software agent that may direct it is a separate subject.
Why it exists Filled
Physical autonomous equipment; robotics penalty applies
Distinguishing features Filled
- Senses and acts in the physical world with some autonomy, unlike ordinary machinery driven step by step by an operator.
- Physical equipment, distinct from the software agent or AI system that may plan its actions.
- Its safety depends on the installation and mode as much as on the machine type.
- Unlike a vehicle in the transport sense, its main purpose is work, though autonomous vehicles overlap.
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Disable, bypass or weaken safety functions, zones or limits.
- Command motion while people are in the hazard zone outside collaborative limits.
- Change control software or safety configuration without validation and authorisation.
- Operate the machine outside its conformity or risk assessment.
- Conceal incidents or delete operating logs.
Only with a human decision
- Switching to a higher level of autonomy or a new task class.
- Restarting after a safety incident.
- Approving a new installation or a change to its risk assessment.
May
- Read the machine's status, configuration, mode and logs.
- Plan and submit tasks within the configured operating envelope.
- Stop the machine through its normal stop function when a hazard is detected.
- Report faults, near misses and maintenance needs.
Moral aspects Filled
- Robots can injure people, so safety must outrank throughput and convenience.
- Automation changes jobs, and workers need a voice in how it is introduced.
- Robots with cameras and microphones collect data about people around them.
Who is affected
- Workers and bystanders near the machine
- Operators and integrators
- People whose work is automated
Owners Filled
Steward
The operator of the installation, who answers for its risk assessment, safe use and maintenance together with the manufacturer.
Master systems
- Asset management system
- Fleet management system
- Maintenance management system
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- WM-OBJ-006
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Identified by manufacturer, model and serial number on the rating plate.
- Fleet and asset systems assign internal asset identifiers.
- Unmanned aircraft may carry a registration or remote identification number under aviation rules.
Direct properties required Filled
- Payload in kilograms and reach or working range in metres.
- Speed in metres per second and force or power limits in newtons where collaborative operation applies.
- Mass in kilograms and dimensions in metres.
- Battery capacity in watt-hours and operating time in hours for mobile robots.
- Positioning repeatability in millimetres under stated conditions.
Recognition required Filled
- Recognised by its articulated arm, mobile base or airframe, sensors, and rating plate.
- Often confused with remote-controlled machines, fixed automation without autonomy, or the software controlling it.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- Perceives its surroundings through sensors and localises itself.
- Moves and manipulates objects within its working envelope.
- Executes tasks autonomously or under supervision and reports status.
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Collision with or crushing of people within its workspace.
- Unexpected motion after software faults or restarts.
- Dropped payloads and battery fires.
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066 for industrial and collaborative robot safety.
- ISO 13482 for personal care robots.
- OPC UA companion specifications for robotics and VDA 5050 for mobile robot fleet communication.
Context of use required Filled
- Used in manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, healthcare, inspection and households.
- Regulated by machinery safety law, and for some uses by aviation or road rules.
Sources Filled
- ISO 8373 Robotics - Vocabulary, International Organization for Standardization
- ISO 10218 Robotics - Safety requirements for industrial robots, International Organization for Standardization
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 on machinery, European Union
Open questions
- Planned model: boundary questions, research and every section remain to be written.
Machine files
Provenance
planned (registry candidate) · todo
Built from: models/runtime-index.json, ver-cy/world-models/card-supplements/wm-obj-024-robot-autonomous-machine.json
Planned entry, hidden from the catalogue until researched.