
In this episode, Erik Reynolds sits down with Roberta Nelson Shea, Global Technical Compliance Officer at Teradyne Robotics, covering Universal Robots and MiR, and ISO convener for TC 299, for a wide-ranging conversation on how safety evolves across robotics, automation, and emerging technologies.
Drawing on decades of experience and her role in shaping standards such as ISO TS 15066 and ISO 10218, Roberta discusses why modern safety standards focus on goals rather than prescriptions, where compliance and safety diverge, and why machines cannot interpret risk the way humans do. The conversation spans collaborative robots, legacy factory equipment, autonomous vehicles, and AI-enabled safety systems, including a candid exchange on expectations around risk and the idea that “zero” is still a number when it comes to safety outcomes.
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