A3 hosts robot safety conference in Houston with focus on R15.06 2025 standard

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) will host the International Robot Safety Conference (IRSC) from November 3-5, 2025, in Houston, Texas, featuring a special focus on the new R15.06 2025 standard. The annual event comes at a time when robotics demand has reached unprecedented levels, making safety standards and risk assessment more critical than ever for manufacturers, integrators, and end users worldwide.

What you should know: The conference will spotlight the R15.06 2025 standard, which represents the U.S. national adoption of ISO 10218 for industrial robot safety requirements.
• Over 40 safety professionals and regulatory officials from leading organizations will lead sessions, including experts from FANUC, Universal Robots, Amazon, NVIDIA, Procter & Gamble, SICK, OSHA, Yaskawa Motoman, Agility Robotics, and MiR.
• The event features a dual-track format allowing attendees to customize their learning across conventional, collaborative, and mobile robot applications.
• Sessions will explore emerging areas such as AI safety, cybersecurity, and global regulatory compliance alongside traditional robot safety topics.

Why this matters: A3, the Association for Advancing Automation, has positioned robot safety as central to successful automation adoption for more than 35 years, with companies worldwide relying on IRSC to strengthen their safety knowledge.
• “Robot safety has always been at the core of A3’s mission,” said Carole Franklin, director of standards for robotics at A3. “IRSC 2025 will dive deep on the new R15.06 2025 standard along with AI safety, mobile robot risk assessment and cybersecurity.”
• Franklin emphasized that attendees will gain “the guidance they need to translate requirements into practical methods their teams can use to design, validate and operate safe robotic systems.”

Key sessions: The conference will feature several marquee presentations addressing critical safety challenges.
• Stuart Shepherd, 2025 Engelberger Award for Leadership recipient, will deliver the opening keynote titled “Why Robot Safety Matters,” drawing on 46 years of experience in manufacturing automation.
• A dedicated session on “Understanding the New R15.06 2025 Standard” will provide a comprehensive breakdown of the latest industrial robot safety requirements and their impact across the industry.
• An “Ask the Experts Panel” will feature safety leaders from Procter & Gamble, Universal Robots, and FANUC answering attendees’ most challenging safety questions.

The venue: The conference will take place at The Westin Houston, Memorial City, with registration currently open for the three-day event.