Üsküdar hosted international standard studies in robot safety!

Üsküdar University's Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Health Sciences, in addition to its education and research activities that train qualified human resources for the sector, also hosts studies aimed at developing international standards in the field of machine safety and robot safety. At the international working meeting held for the first time in Turkey in the field of robot safety standardization, over 30 experts from 11 countries gathered at Üsküdar University and conducted technical studies for the development of the ISO/WD 26058-1 standard for industrial mobile robots to work safely with humans.

Between August 31 and September 3, 2026, at the international working meeting held at Üsküdar University, the ISO/WD 26058-1 – Safety Requirements for Industrial Mobile Robots standard, prepared within the scope of the ISO/TC 299 – WG 14 working group, was worked on.

Standard for the Safe Use of Industrial Mobile Robots is Being Developed

The meeting held at Üsküdar University within the scope of the studies carried out by Asst. Prof. Rüştü Uçan, Head of the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Health Sciences, and Asst. Prof. Sertaç Temur, Deputy Director of the Institute of Health Sciences, in occupational health and safety, machine safety, and the safe use of new technologies, marks a first in Turkey in the field of robot safety standardization. Over 30 experts from 11 different countries attended the meeting in person and online.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of ISO/TC 299 – WG 14 Convenor Patrick Barry and in coordination with WG 14 Secretary Carole Strait Franklin. The international expert group, led by Patrick Barry, who works in Regulatory Compliance at Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), and Carole Strait Franklin, who serves as Director of Standards Development, Robotics at the Association for Advancing Automation, conducted studies on the technical provisions of the standard for four days.

Safety Requirements in Human-Robot Collaboration Discussed

During the four-day meetings, the safe use of industrial mobile robots in working environments was comprehensively evaluated. While risks arising from employees sharing the same workspace with robots were addressed, requirements for controlling these risks through design and safety measures were worked on.

The prepared standard aims to contribute to industrial mobile robots working safely with humans and to employees continuing their activities in a safe working environment with evolving technologies.

Üsküdar University, by hosting the preparatory work for such an important international standard that will directly contribute to employees working safely with evolving technologies, contributed to the convergence of academic knowledge with international standardization processes.

Contribution is also Made to the Development of International Standards!

Üsküdar University, which has been conducting education and research activities in the field of occupational health and safety for many years, brought its academic knowledge in this field together with international standardization processes through the meeting.

Evaluating Üsküdar University's approach in this field, Asst. Prof. Rüştü Uçan, Head of the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, and Asst. Prof. Sertaç Temur, Deputy Director of the Institute of Health Sciences, emphasized that holding the meeting at Üsküdar University is important for the convergence of studies in occupational health and safety, machine safety, and the safe use of new technologies with international standardization processes.

Uçan and Temur made the following statements in their evaluations:

“As a university that has been training qualified human resources for the sector in the field of occupational health and safety for years, we closely follow the transformation in technology and its effects on employee safety. We are proud to host the development of an international standard that will contribute to industrial mobile robots working safely with humans and to employees maintaining their work in a healthy and safe manner. The holding of this first international meeting in the field of robot safety standardization in Turkey at our university is also extremely valuable for the integration of our academic studies with international standardization processes.”

Second International Standardization Meeting Also Held in Üsküdar

The meeting also marks the second international standardization meeting hosted by Üsküdar University in the field of machine safety within 2026.

The first international standardization meeting in the field of machine safety in Turkey was also held at Üsküdar University in April 2026. At the meeting organized within the scope of CLC/TC 44X/WG2, studies were carried out for the development of the prEN 50742 standard, specifically addressing topics where machine safety and cybersecurity intersect.

Üsküdar University, which hosted the first international standardization meeting in the field of machine safety in April, hosted the international standardization working meeting, held for the first time in Turkey in the field of robot safety, about five months later this time.

Erhan Eskicumalı Represented Turkey

In the process of bringing the meeting to Turkey and gathering the international working group in Istanbul, Erhan Eskicumalı, Founder of TEFDO and Chairman of TSE MTC 205 Robotics Mirror Committee, played an active role.

Eskicumalı, representing Turkey in international robot safety standardization efforts, participated in ISO/TC 299 – WG 14 studies and contributed to the technical work for the development of the ISO/WD 26058-1 standard.

As a result of Eskicumalı's initiatives, who previously represented Turkey in working group meetings held abroad, and the collaboration with Üsküdar University, the international working group was enabled to convene in Istanbul this time.

With this meeting, Üsküdar University brought its academic studies in occupational health and safety, machine safety, and robot safety together with international standardization processes, thereby contributing to the development of standards for employees to work safely with evolving technologies.