New ISO interoperability standard covers collaboration among mobile robots from multiple vendors

The new ISO 21423:2026 standard is intended to facilitate communications among different mobile robots. Source: mansyupasara AI, Adobe Stock

As fleets of mobile robots grow, the need for interoperability among systems increases. The Association for Advancing Automation, or A3, yesterday published ISO 21423:2026, a new international standard for communications among industrial mobile robots, or IMRs, regardless of vendor or model.

“Companies want to choose the robots that fit their applications and have those robots work together on the same floor,” stated Carole Franklin, director of standards development for robotics at A3. “Many leading industrial users of mobile robots have asked for an interoperability standard for years.”

“Now, ISO 21423 gives manufacturers and users a common basis for communication across fleets, no matter where in the world their facility is located,” she added. “This standard can help companies expand automation with equipment from different vendors and make better use of the robots they already have.”

ISO 21423 addresses IMR interoperability

Developed by ISO Technical Committee 299, ISO 21423 Robotics – Industrial mobile robots – Communications and interoperability provides a common set of requirements for automated guided vehicles ( AGVs ), autonomous mobile robots ( AMRs ), and similar systems from different suppliers operating in the same facility.

The new standard specifies how IMRs, fleet managers , and other equipment exchange information and request actions. Robots can share their location, speed, direction, condition, tasking and availability with one another, A3 explained.

For end users, this means fewer cases of robots interfering with each other’s paths or path planning , which improves robot availability and system efficiency, asserted A3. A common protocol could increase competition in the market and support innovation, it said. One benefit of an ISO standard on this topic is that it can be adopted in countries all around the world.

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Standard also covers communications with other systems

ISO 21423 also covers communication with machines tended by robots; enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools; and industrial building systems such as lifts, automated doors, and alarms. People using or wearing mobile devices can share similar information, so their work can be coordinated alongside the robots.

“ISO 21423 represents the first non-safety robot standard that A3 has helped produce, and highlights A3’s continued leadership in robotics standardization efforts,” said the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based organization. The standard is available at the A3 online store for $373. A3 members can purchase the document for $320.

The Association for Advancing Automation is a leading global advocate for the benefits of automating. Members of A3 represent more than 1,500 manufacturers, component suppliers, systems integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups, and consulting firms.

A3 hosts events including the International Robot Safety Conference , the A3 Business Forum , and Automate .

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