ISO 21423 helps mobile robots from different vendors communicate together

Summary

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) announced the publication of ISO 21423:2026, a new international standard for communication and interoperability among industrial mobile robots (IMRs).

Source: Robotics 24/7 — Industry reporting · Read original article ↗

Article text · Original source · English

The Association for Advancing Automation (A3) today announced the publication of ISO 21423:2026, a new international standard for communication and interoperability among industrial mobile robots (IMRs), regardless of vendor or model.

A3 said that ISO 21423 provides a common set of communication requirements for mobile robots from different suppliers operating in the same industrial facility.

The new standard is available for purchase on the A3 store.

A common language for mobile robots

Developed by ISO Technical Committee 299, ISO 21423 Robotics - Industrial mobile robots - Communications and interoperability specifies how IMRs, IMR fleet managers and other equipment exchange information and request actions. The standard enables robots to share their location, speed, direction, condition, tasking and availability with each other.

For end users, A3 said that this means fewer cases of robots interfering with each other’s paths or path planning, which improves robot availability and system efficiency. A3 said that a common protocol is also expected to increase competition in the market and support innovation.

Additionally, A3 said that an important benefit of an ISO standard on this topic is that it can be adopted in countries all around the world.

“Companies want to choose the robots that fit their applications and have those robots work together on the same floor,” said Carole Franklin, A3’s director of standards development, robotics. “Many leading industrial users of mobile robots have asked for an interoperability standard for years. Now, ISO 21423 gives manufacturers and users a common basis for communication across fleets, no matter where in the world their facility is located. This standard can help companies expand automation with equipment from different vendors and make better use of the robots they already have.”

InOrbit.AI ran robot interoperability demos at Automate 2026 in Chicago, serving as a practical reference for the ISO 21423 standard.

A3 said that the standard also covers communication with machines tended by robots, enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools, and industrial building systems such as lifts, automated doors and alarms. The Association said that people using mobile devices can share similar information, so their work can be coordinated alongside the robots.

ISO 21423 represents the first non-safety robot standard that A3 has helped produce. The Association said that this highlights its continued leadership in the robotics standardization efforts.

A3 is hosting the 2026 International Robot Safety Conference in Detroit from November 3-5.

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The Association for Advancing Automation ( A3 ) today announced the publication of ISO 21423:2026 , a new international standard for communication and interoperability among industrial mobile robots (IMRs), regardless of vendor or model. A3 said that ISO 21423 provides a common set of communication requirements for mobile robots from different suppliers operating in the same industrial facility. The new standard is a
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vailable for purchase on the A3 store. A common language for mobile robots Developed by ISO Technical Committee 299, ISO 21423 Robotics - Industrial mobile robots - Communications and interoperability specifies how IMRs, IMR fleet managers and other equipment exchange information and request actions. The standard enables robots to share their location, speed, direction, condition, tasking and availability with each o
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ther. For end users, A3 said that this means fewer cases of robots interfering with each other’s paths or path planning , which improves robot availability and system efficiency. A3 said that a common protocol is also expected to increase competition in the market and support innovation. Additionally, A3 said that an important benefit of an ISO standard on this topic is that it can be adopted in countries all around
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the world. “Companies want to choose the robots that fit their applications and have those robots work together on the same floor,” said Carole Franklin, A3’s director of standards development, robotics. “Many leading industrial users of mobile robots have asked for an interoperability standard for years. Now, ISO 21423 gives manufacturers and users a common basis for communication across fleets, no matter where in t
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he world their facility is located. This standard can help companies expand automation with equipment from different vendors and make better use of the robots they already have.” InOrbit.AI ran robot interoperability demos at Automate 2026 in Chicago, serving as a practical reference for the ISO 21423 standard. A3 said that the standard also covers communication with machines tended by robots, enterprise resource pla
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nning ( ERP ) tools, and industrial building systems such as lifts, automated doors and alarms. The Association said that people using mobile devices can share similar information, so their work can be coordinated alongside the robots. ISO 21423 represents the first non-safety robot standard that A3 has helped produce. The Association said that this highlights its continued leadership in the robotics standardization
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efforts . A3 is hosting the 2026 International Robot Safety Conference in Detroit from November 3-5.
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