The new ISO interoperability standard covers collaboration between mobile robots from multiple vendors

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

“Companies want to choose robots that fit their applications and have them work together on the same page,” said Carole Franklin, director of standards development for robotics at A3. “Many major industrial users of mobile robots have been calling for an interoperability standard for years.”

“Now, ISO 21423 gives manufacturers and users a common basis for communication between fleets, regardless of where their facility is located in the world,” he added. “This standard can help companies expand automation with equipment from different vendors and make better use of the robots they already have.”

The ISO 21423 standard concerns IMR interoperability

Developed by the ISO 299 Technical Committee, 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 vendors operating in the same facility.

The new standard specifies how IMRs, fleet managers and other equipment exchange information and request actions. The robots can share position, speed, direction, condition, tasks and availability with each other, A3 explained.

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

The standard also covers communications with other systems

ISO 21423 also covers communication with robot-operated machines; enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools; and industrial building systems such as elevators, automated doors and alarms. People using or wearing mobile devices can share similar information, so that their work can be coordinated together with robots.

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

The Association for Advancing Automation is one of the world’s leading advocates for the benefits of automation. A3 members represent more than 1,500 manufacturers, component suppliers, system integrators, end users, academic institutions, research groups and consultancies.

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