UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, today announced the opening of its new testing laboratory for commercial and service robots. Located in Seoul, South Korea, this is the company’s first lab for testing these types of robots. UL Solutions said the lab was established to deliver testing and certification services to help manufacturers pinpoint emerging hazards, particularly around human-robot interactions.
The new laboratory will focus on testing for compliance with UL 3300, the Standard for Safety for Service, Communication, Information, Education and Entertainment Robots. This UL Standard is crucial for demonstrating that robots can operate safely alongside people in public and commercial environments and addresses key safety concerns, including:
Mobility
Fire and shock hazards
External manipulation and interaction with vulnerable persons
For example, the standard requires robots to have speed limits and object detection capabilities based on their size and mandates audible and visual indicators to signal their presence and path of movement to those around them.
“The robotics industry is entering a new era of growth, one where machines deliver room service in hotels, serve as companions in the home and even assist shoppers in grocery stores,” said Yun Chung, regional managing director at UL Solutions in South Korea. “As robotics adoption accelerates, our new robot laboratory will play a critical role in identifying and addressing pressing safety concerns, enabling businesses in Korea and worldwide to harness the benefits while protecting people and property.”
UL Solutions said that advancements in robotics have given rise to a new generation of machines capable of performing diverse tasks in settings beyond traditional industrial floors, including those now being used in hotels and restaurants, healthcare, retail, domestic and personal assistance and delivery services. As this trend grows, identifying and addressing new safety concerns, especially those related to human-robot interactions, has become vital.
The opening of the new UL Solutions robot laboratory comes as the global service robotics market expands. According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), sales of service robots increased by 30% worldwide in 2023. Nearly 80% of the robots came from the Asia-Pacific region, with 162,284 units sold. Europe followed with 33,918 units, and the Americas with 8,927 units sold.
The IFR said this surge is driven by multiple factors, including a growing shortage of skilled labor, the need for enhanced operational efficiency and a push for greater workplace safety. Industries such as logistics and hospitality are increasingly deploying robots to handle repetitive, hazardous or data-intensive tasks, freeing human workers to focus on more strategic and creative challenges.
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