Runtime Safety Check for Robot Control Loops
Overview
This research paper presents a runtime safety check for robot control loops, showing how a model can execute harmful instructions without refusal. The method stops harmful actions by asking the model to evaluate the instruction before execution, preventing unsafe behavior in robotic systems.
From arXiv Robotics — research abstracts
Event evidence and corrections
0 attributed source owners. Ownership does not establish independent confirmation. Quantities are reported separately and are never added together.
Reported quantity · Reported trials: 15 other · reported trials
“toy basket", the policy refused 0% of 15 trials, attempted the harm every time, and completed it in 27%. Its one exit, give_up, is meant for goals that cannot be achieved, and it never cited the hazard. We add an optional runtime safety check to the loop: before the first motion, the model is asked whether it would carry out the instruction, given the same camera frames. The check would have stopped all 15 hazardous”
Exact source · revision 1Source owner not reported
Artifact availability · code: available
“instructions, including the 4 that completed the harm, and flagged none of the 15 harmless controls. Code and data: https://github.com/Arnav-Gr0ver/Refuses-When-Asked-Complies-When-Acting.”
Exact source · revision 1Source owner not reported
Evidence dependency changes (2)
- 2026-10-30T21:59:53.774Z · evidence updated · source revision 1. Evidence extraction was updated; current source attributions are shown above.
- 2026-10-30T21:59:35.966Z · evidence updated · source revision 1. Evidence extraction was updated; current source attributions are shown above.
Report timeline
Follow attributed reports and material updates.
- arXiv Robotics — research abstractsSignalRefuses When Asked, Complies When Acting: A Runtime Safety Check for Robot Control Loops
This research paper presents a runtime safety check for robot control loops, showing how a model can execute harmful instructions without refusal. The method stops harmful actions by asking the model to evaluate the instruction before execution, preventing unsafe behavior in robotic systems.
Timezone · UTC
Article dates follow your selected timezone. Briefing editions use Hong Kong time (UTC+8).