🚀 From Sonair, a Safety-Certified 3D Ultrasonic Sensor for Robots: ADAR One is Coming!

[Erkan Teskancan]

Sonair, a company developing 3D ultrasonic sensing technologies for robotic and autonomous machines, has introduced ADAR One, a 3D ultrasonic sensor that brings a breath of fresh air to the world of mobile robots and industrial automation. This innovation is poised to redefine industrial safety standards.

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💡 A New Era in Safety with 3D Sensing​

The ADAR One sensor eliminates the limitations of traditional 2D safety systems by detecting people and obstacles with full 3D spatial awareness. According to Sonair, this technology is designed to be seamlessly integrated into robots, including humanoid robots. The company claims this sensor is the first of its kind.

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🗣️ CEO Emphasizes Safety​

Sonair CEO Knut Sandven states, "The bottleneck to safe human-robot coexistence is not intelligence or speed, but reliable sensing; reliably knowing that a human is nearby in all conditions." Sandven notes that this certification is the first proof that a 3D sensor using sound instead of light independently meets this bar, offering a new sensing modality where cameras fall short.

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✅ Full Compliance with International Standards​

ADAR One has been evaluated as a human protection sensor according to the IEC 61496 standard for electro-sensitive protective equipment. It also meets two key standards: IEC 61508, the functional safety standard for electronic safety systems in high-risk industrial environments, and ISO 13849, the universal standard for safety-related parts of control systems.

ADAR has a Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL 2) and Performance Level d (PL d) rating, offering a probability of dangerous failure of less than 1.5 x 10⁻⁷ per hour. The sensor received an EC type examination certificate from exida, a notified body under the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC, and was assessed under the essential health and safety requirements of the European machinery directive.

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💻 First Safety-Certified System Developed with Rust​

Sonair also highlights that ADAR is the first safety-certified embedded system built with Rust, a programming language designed for safety and reliability.

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🎯 Who Benefits and How?​

This sensor offers significant advantages for robot manufacturers, system integrators, and end-users:

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  []Industrial Autonomous Robot OEMs: They can achieve 3D safety certification with ADAR One as a more cost-effective and efficient solution, replacing high-cost and complex 2D LiDAR systems.
  
  []System Integrators: They can easily deploy the plug-and-play ADAR One in autonomous mobile robots (AMR), automated guided vehicles (AGV), and collaborative robot architectures without seeking exemptions.
  
  []Humanoid Robot OEMs: ADAR One can be directly integrated into the body of humanoid robots, providing certified 3D sensing support that existing camera-AI stacks cannot offer.
  
  []End-Users: Warehouse and logistics providers can safely use robots in certified safety architectures recognized by insurance and liability frameworks.
  

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✨ The Future of Safe Automation​

Sonair's ADAR One sensor stands out as an innovative step that raises safety standards in industrial automation and robotics. With its 3D ultrasonic sensing capability and international safety certifications, it contributes to a safer and more efficient future for human-robot collaboration.