Preparing the published article.
Robot Safety Categories in Plain Language
The category describes reliability of a protective function.
What the categories mean
| Aspect | Plain meaning |
|---|---|
| Category or performance level | How much the function can be trusted under fault |
| Redundancy | Two channels so one failure does not remove protection |
| Monitoring | The system notices its own faults |
| Diagnostics | Coverage of the redundant channels |
Practical implications
- Higher categories cost more but are required for higher-risk tasks.
- The required level comes from the risk assessment, not from preference.
- Any modification means re-verifying the affected functions.
Determining the required level is a specialist task. Confirm with a competent safety engineer.