Sonair unveils "world-first" certified 3D ultrasonic sensor for safe human-robot interaction

The AI ​​boom has made robots much more capable. But the security infrastructure can't keep up.

Traditional 2D laser scanners - widely used to define safe zones around mobile robots - cannot see people or obstacles above or below one plane.

New sensory modality

“The bottleneck for safe coexistence between humans and robots is not intelligence or speed,” says Knut Sandven, CEO of Sonair. - This is a safe perception: it is reliable, in any conditions, to know that a person is nearby. This certification is the first time a 3D sensor has been independently verified to meet this standard using sound instead of light. A new sensory modality that complements cameras where they pass.”

ADAR One is designed for autonomous mobile robots and industrial automation. It provides 180°x180° spatial awareness in 3D, seeing people and obstacles at any height - and thereby eliminating the limitations and blind spots of current 2D security systems.

Easy integration and a tiny form factor allow ADAR (Acoustic Detection and Ranging) technology to be built flush into the body of any robot - even a humanoid one.

Certified Security Foundation

“ADAR One doesn’t just replace a sensor. It creates a new level of safety for robotics - a certified 3D perception framework that runs under any camera, AI stack or motion system and independently verifies that the area around the robot is safe,” Sandven adds.

ADAR One is already in serial production and is installed on industrial robots. Since its beta release a year ago, more than 80 robotics companies around the world have extensively tested ADAR in the Sonair program. For many, safety certification was the moment they had been waiting for.

Partnership with beRobox

beRobox - a leader in plug-and-play palletizing and depalletizing solutions - has entered into an agreement with Sonair to integrate the ADAR One certified sensor into future products.

This deal marks the arrival of certified 3D safety in one of the highest-performance industrial automation scenarios, where machines and people share the tightest spaces.

David Demers, CEO of beRobox, says: “At beRobox, innovation is not just about developing new products. It's about continually integrating the best technology available to make automation easier for our customers. Partnering with Sonair is another step in our mission to stay ahead through innovation and offer the most advanced and user-friendly palletizing and depalletizing solutions on the market.”

Strict safety standards

ADAR One has been assessed as a human protection sensor under the very stringent IEC 61496 standard for electrically sensitive protective devices.

In addition, the product complies with two core standards: IEC 61508 (functional safety of electronic systems in high-risk industrial environments) and ISO 13849 (universal standard for safety-related parts of control systems).

Bottom line: ADAR is rated SIL 2 (Safety Integrity Level 2) and PL d (Performance Level d) with a Probability of Hazardous Failure (PFH) below 1.5×10⁻⁷ per hour.

The ADAR has received EC type-examination certification from exida, the Notified Body for the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. In addition to the listed standards, exida has assessed ADAR's compliance with the essential health and safety requirements of the European Machinery Directive.

Moreover, ADAR is the first security-certified embedded system written in Rust. It is a programming language specifically designed for performance, security, and reliability.

What does this mean for the market?

Manufacturers of industrial robots: now 2D lidars are responsible for safety - expensive and complex. With ADAR One, roboticists will have certified safety in 3D and get to market faster with a more effective and lower-cost solution.

System integrators: ADAR One can now be plug-and-play installed on autonomous mobile robots, automated carts and collaborative systems - no special permissions required.

Manufacturers of humanoid robots: the compact ADAR One is built directly into the Android body, without requiring major design modifications. It provides certified safety insurance in full 3D - something no AI camera combination can do yet.

End users: Warehouses and logistics companies receive robots in certified security architectures recognized by insurers and lawyers. ADAR One means increased productivity, less downtime, fewer incidents and more trust.

“This is exactly what ADAR One is designed for - as a ready-made, certified security layer that can simply be inserted into the system,” says Sandven. “What was once an engineering headache now becomes a commercial advantage for everyone in the market.”

Availability

ADAR One - certified version for autonomous robots and industrial safety with SIL 2, PL d requirements - is already on sale. Order ADAR One.