The "rokit" robot competence and interaction test cluster

Status:

completed 12/2025

Aims:

The "rokit" robot competence and interaction test cluster is a project consortium of 13 research institutions, companies and public administrations and was funded from 2022 to 2025 by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR, formerly BMBF). The cluster conducted research into mobile service robotics for selected areas of application such as inspection and monitoring, cleaning and care work, and also for micro-logistics and transport. The cluster analysed and designed human-robot interactions in public spaces.

Together with project partners, the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA) conducted research into safe and healthy interaction between people and mobile service robots. For this purpose, design requirements and test and validation methods were developed and tested for the use case.

Activities/Methods:

The cluster’s research activities were coordinated in the rokit hub and methodically structured in a think tank, methodsworkshop and living lab. The think tank provided scientific support for the project, reviewed the research findings and structured them systematically. Within this process, the IFA analysed the international literature on the subject of human factors engineering, focusing on the occupational context and identifying scenarios from preventive occupational safety and health activities that also make interactions in public spaces safer and healthier. Surveys were conducted for this purpose among stakeholders from the occupational safety sphere, including experts from the German Social Accident Insurance Institutions in the field of mobile assistance robotics, to identify their needs. These included general aspects of functional safety in the field of robotics and aspects of trustworthy AI and design of ergonomic work systems. Regulatory requirements and applicable standards in this area were identified, compiled and provided in the form of a structured knowledge base. This knowledge base is publicly accessible for all partners in the project and for external stakeholders.

The methodsworkshop organised the collection of methods and their use in processes of interaction with mobile service robotics in the project’s disciplines of the social sciences, economics, engineering, the natural sciences and jurisprudence. The IFA studied to what extent occupational hazard and risk assessment could be applied to public spaces, and what additional measures must be taken. In addition to mechanical hazards and aspects of functional safety, the IFA particularly analysed the risks arising from the use of AI, and formulated appropriate risk reduction measures. In this context, it is actively involved in the development of the TS 22440 technical specification by ISO/IEC JTC 1 SC 42, Artificial intelligence. The technical specification will contain specific requirements concerning the use of AI in the context of functional safety and will incorporate the project’s findings. Findings concerning perceived safety for the design of safe and healthy human-robot interaction (HMI) were documented (for example, indication of intended robot movements increases human safety).

Field studies were conducted in the project’s living lab to evaluate mobile service robots in public spaces. Based on the results, best practices have been formulated for robotic development and future risk assessments. The IFA has provided information on the latest findings at specialized events organised by institutions of the German Social Accident Insurance.

Results:

The human factors engineering findings of the literature survey were used to compare design requirements for perceived safety in human-robot interaction with those for machinery safety. Correlations between perceived safety (e.g. trust in the robot, usability) and functional performance (e.g. human-robot distance, stability of the robot) were studied in encounter scenarios between people and mobile robots (e.g. on a ramp, in a passageway).

A knowledge base of relevant regulations and standards has been established to provide accident insurance institutions, local authorities and companies with guidance on existing safety requirements in robotics. However, these requirements are often insufficient for public spaces. For this reason, further – and fundamental – aspects concerning mechanical hazards and functional safety have been compiled which developers of robots for public spaces should take into account. Given these aspects, the IFA has derived safety metrics and guidelines for the safe and healthy design of human-robot interactions. Their successful application in tests and practical benchmarking trials on real-world robots has proven their value towards assisting those concerned with placing mobile robots on the market.

Beyond the scope of the project, the IFA has also networked with other parties within the Transfer Centre for Robots in Everyday Life (RimA) and shared its views on machinery safety. Important findings for occupational safety and health have been published in specialist publications.

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