Mantis Robotics has announced that its flagship MR-1 robot arm is the first fenceless, high-speed industrial robot to receive safety certification to ISO 10218-1 and ISO 13849-1. Powered by proprietary Physical AI and advanced proximity detection, the MR-1 eliminates the traditional trade-off between safety and speed, enabling high-throughput operations in shared human workspaces without physical barriers.
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"This safety certification represents a true breakthrough for robotics, creating an entirely new category of robot that can interact safely with people without compromising productivity," said Gerry Vannuffelen, CEO, Mantis Robotics. "The bottleneck to scaling AI robots isn't intelligence; it's safety. Mantis' revolutionary proximity detection technology enables robots – in any form – to autonomously and safely adjust to the world around them, at industrial speeds. With this technology, we're unlocking one of the largest platform opportunities in robotics."
Traditional industrial robots require fencing or speed restrictions for human safety, while collaborative robots (cobots) sacrifice throughput for inherent safety. The MR-1 overcomes this limitation through Physical AI that integrates real-time environmental awareness directly into the robot's control system. Its SafetyCore continuously scans for objects and people within the operating zone, dynamically reducing speed or halting motion as needed while maintaining high productivity.
"The robot's combination of Physical AI and code–free, rapid deployment – in the exact same footprint as a human worker – drives maximum productivity and a superior return on automation investment," added Vannuffelen.
The MR-1's certification to ISO 10218-1 (robot safety requirements) and ISO 13849-1 (control system functional safety) at PL=d confirms a high degree of risk reduction and reliability. This foundational safety architecture positions Mantis Robotics to enable the next wave of AI-driven automation, where robots and humanoids operate seamlessly alongside people in diverse settings.
The Mantis MR-1 is now available for purchase, complete with integrated controller and Mantis Studio software for rapid, code-free programming and deployment.
About Mantis Robotics
Founded in 2020 by robotics industry veterans, Mantis Robotics is making industrial automation more accessible through Physical AI. The company developed the first truly fenceless, high-speed industrial robot with onboard intelligence that safely operates alongside humans out of the box. Headquartered in Pleasanton, California, Mantis Robotics has offices in Belgium and Taiwan, and a global team of 45 employees serving manufacturing and e-commerce fulfillment companies worldwide.
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