Safety certified 3D sensor changes robotic safety layer

Sonair’s ADAR One, a compact 3D ultrasonic sensor, has earned breakthrough safety certifications that put a new layer under every robot operating near people. The device is certified to SIL2 under IEC 61508 and PL d under ISO 13849, and it satisfies the European Machinery Directive for acoustic detection and ranging used to protect humans and objects. The certification process, led by exida in Germany, was described by Sonair chief executive Knut Sandven as meticulous enough to pause other development for months to finish. The sensor is assessed as a human protection device under IEC 61496 and, crucially, carries a PFH below 1.5 x 10^-7 per hour. This trifecta of standards creates a safety backbone that can sit beneath any camera, AI stack, or motion system, providing an independent safety verification layer rather than relying on a single technology or a single plane of perception.

The difference to today’s safety perimeter is stark. Traditional 2D safety scanners define a single plane of risk, and robots often navigate with that limitation in mind. ADAR One delivers 180 degrees by 180 degrees of 3D spatial awareness, enabling robots to detect people and obstacles at all heights. That 3D perception is designed to reduce blind spots and to support humans and machines working side by side in more dynamic environments. The message from Sonair is clear: this is not a replacement for existing safety systems, but a fundamental enhancement that sits on top of them as an independent, certified layer of protection.

Integration is the practical selling point. The sensor’s small footprint allows flush embedding into virtually any robot form factor, including humanoids, which matters for retrofit projects and fleets that move across product lines. In practice, that means plant engineers can add a safety layer without redesigning core platforms or sacrificing form factor. ADAR One is designed to operate with an existing AI stack and motion control while providing a dedicated safety check that remains valid even if the AI misclassifies a scene. In a field where safety infrastructure has lagged AI advancements, this parallel safety layer could shorten the time to deploy collaborative robots in environments that demand compliant, auditable protection.

Deployment data shows broad industry interest. Since the beta version rolled out, more than 80 global robotics companies have rigorously evaluated ADAR through Sonair’s test program. That level of engagement signals a market hungry for certified, plug-and-play safety without the typical two week debugging cycle that plagues many so-called turnkey solutions. But for plant managers weighing the move from pilot to production, the practical questions remain. The case study reports the PFH rating and safety architecture, yet cycle times and throughput gains are not published. In other words, the safety certification is a leap forward, but the business case still hinges on real world performance on the plant floor. Expect early pilots to focus on how ADAR One reduces unscheduled downtime and safety-related stoppages, while teams measure line throughput improvements as they tune integration with cameras and AI.

Two practitioner takeaways emerge.

What to watch next: real world installation data showing cycle time changes, integration with varied robot families, and how the PFH performance holds under production realities such as noise, vibration, and occlusion.