New Working Group: Robot Interoperability for Collaborative Applications

This is the first meeting to discuss the creation of a new framework for robot interoperability that facilitates collaborative tasks with people and other platforms.

It's a very exciting time to be in robotics, with dramatic shifts in form factors, use cases, and software architectures. In order for the next generation of robotic systems to interoperate effectively, a framework must be put into place that lets robots communicate information beyond basic state and status information.

The goal of this first meeting is to establish a shared vision and scope of this effort. The emerging robotics landscape is vast and diverse, but an effort like this must be focused to succeed. The scope will principally include platforms whose tasks require interaction with humans or other robots, providing means to communicate concepts like intent and uncertainty.

We have a strong list of interested parties, many of whom contributed to the MassRobotics AMR Interoperability Standard. However, we are looking to expand participation globally to experts across industry and academia. This is NOT an effort towards a new standard, although members from the standards bodies and committees are very welcome to lend their expertise.

The ISO 21423 standard on mobile robot interoperability has just passed its Draft International Standard (DIS) ballot, a critical milestone towards a globally recognized standard for how robots can work together safely and efficiently.

• ISO 21423 leveraged existing frameworks like the MassRobotics and A3 - Association for Advancing Automation Interoperability Standard and VDA5050 in its drafting.
• Before the standard existed, these frameworks emerged to address the critical industry need for robot interoperability.

In today’s rapidly changing landscape of increasingly sophisticated robot form-factors and software architectures, there is a growing need for an interoperability framework that goes beyond basic state and status information for AMRs.

• Emerging platforms like mobile manipulators and legged robots may require additional context to interoperate successfully, such as a shared, semantic world understanding and robot intent.
• Even more importantly, human/robot interaction in public spaces desperately needs to be addressed.

In order to address these challenges, we are organizing a working group to begin drafting a new framework for heterogeneous robot human interoperability that addresses the fundamental challenges ahead of us for the next generation of robot operations.

The first meeting is planned for November 18, 2025 at Beautiful Rancho San Gregorio at noon Pacific time and online. A virtual meeting link and recording will be provided to everyone who signs up.

This event will be hybrid, with the physical location being ​Rancho San Gregorio. A virtual meeting link will be provided to everyone who signs up.

Rancho San Gregorio is a unique blend of working ranch (since 1839) with a touch of Silicon Valley where companies like Rotate8 are creating low cost agricultural robots to help small farms grow healthy food sustainably.

(1) This event will be available virtually - if you plan to attend virtually, please indicate when registering to receive the Zoom link

(3) For those interested who cannot attend - even if you cannot attend in person or virtually, simply register and select the virtual option to follow for updates and future events