Sonair Launches Safety-Certified 3D Ultrasonic Sensor for Industrial Robotics

Sonair has launched ADAR One, a safety-certified 3D ultrasonic sensing system designed for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), industrial automation platforms, and next-generation humanoid robots. The hardware sensor introduces a new approach to machine perception using acoustic detection and ranging to enable reliable human and obstacle detection within complex, dynamic industrial environments.

Unlike conventional 2D LiDAR-based safety systems, the ADAR One provides full 3D spatial awareness, allowing robotic platforms to accurately process depth, movement, and close proximity in real time. The hardware layout is engineered for flush integration directly into robotic outer structures, including AMRs, AGVs, and advanced humanoid robot architectures, lowering deployment complexity across industrial workspaces.

The device has been independently certified under IEC 61496 for electrosensitive protection systems and complies fully with IEC 61508 functional safety requirements alongside the universal ISO 13849 control systems standard. It achieves Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL2) and Performance Level d (PLd), demonstrating a dangerously low failure probability below 1.5 x 10⁻⁷ per hour.

Sonair reports that the platform received an official EC type-examination certificate from exida under the Machinery Directive. Furthermore, it represents the first safety-certified embedded solution built in the Rust programming language to maximize execution reliability.

Knut Sandven, Chief Executive Officer of Sonair, stated:

"The bottleneck to safe human-robot coexistence isn't intelligence or speed. It's safe perception; knowing reliably under any condition, that a human is nearby. This milestone certification is the first time a 3D sensor has been independently verified to meet that bar using sound instead of light."

The product lowers system overhead for OEMs, simplifies deployment frameworks for system integrators, and guarantees compliance for warehouse automation operators.