IEC 63439-1-1:2025
(Main)Robotics for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution systems - Part 1-1: Terminology for electric power robots
Robotics for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution systems - Part 1-1: Terminology for electric power robots
IEC 63439-1-1:2025 defines terms relating to electric power robot. It defines terms used for describing classification, constitution, function, performance, safety, working environment and other topics relating to electric power robot.
This document applies to the design, production, testing, sales, application, maintenance, management, scientific research of electric power robot.
Robotique pour les réseaux de production, de transport et de distribution de l'électricité - Partie 1-1: Terminologie pour les robots électriques
l'IEC 63439-1-1:2025 définit les termes relatifs aux robots électriques. Il définit les termes utilisés pour décrire la classification, la constitution, la fonction, les performances, la sécurité, l'environnement de travail et d'autres aspects relatifs aux robots électriques.
Le présent document s'applique à la conception, à la production, aux essais, à la vente, à l'application, à la maintenance, à la gestion, à la recherche scientifique en ce qui concerne les robots électriques.
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
IEC 63439-1-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2025-02
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Robotics for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution systems –
Part 1-1: Terminology for electric power robots
Robotique pour les réseaux de production, de transport et de distribution de
l'électricité –
Partie 1-1: Terminologie pour les robots électriques
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from
either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or
your local IEC member National Committee for further information.
Droits de reproduction réservés. Sauf indication contraire, aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite ni
utilisée sous quelque forme que ce soit et par aucun procédé, électronique ou mécanique, y compris la photocopie et
les microfilms, sans l'accord écrit de l'IEC ou du Comité national de l'IEC du pays du demandeur. Si vous avez des
questions sur le copyright de l'IEC ou si vous désirez obtenir des droits supplémentaires sur cette publication, utilisez
les coordonnées ci-après ou contactez le Comité national de l'IEC de votre pays de résidence.
IEC Secretariat Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé info@iec.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.
About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigendum or an amendment might have been published.
IEC publications search - webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform IEC Products & Services Portal - products.iec.ch
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a Discover our powerful search engine and read freely all the
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical publications previews, graphical symbols and the glossary.
committee, …). It also gives information on projects, replaced With a subscription you will always have access to up to date
and withdrawn publications. content tailored to your needs.
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published
The world's leading online dictionary on electrotechnology,
details all new publications released. Available online and once
containing more than 22 500 terminological entries in English
a month by email.
and French, with equivalent terms in 25 additional languages.
Also known as the International Electrotechnical Vocabulary
IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
(IEV) online.
If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or need
further assistance, please contact the Customer Service
Centre: sales@iec.ch.
A propos de l'IEC
La Commission Electrotechnique Internationale (IEC) est la première organisation mondiale qui élabore et publie des
Normes internationales pour tout ce qui a trait à l'électricité, à l'électronique et aux technologies apparentées.
A propos des publications IEC
Le contenu technique des publications IEC est constamment revu. Veuillez vous assurer que vous possédez l’édition la
plus récente, un corrigendum ou amendement peut avoir été publié.
Recherche de publications IEC - IEC Products & Services Portal - products.iec.ch
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform Découvrez notre puissant moteur de recherche et consultez
La recherche avancée permet de trouver des publications IEC gratuitement tous les aperçus des publications, symboles
en utilisant différents critères (numéro de référence, texte, graphiques et le glossaire. Avec un abonnement, vous aurez
comité d’études, …). Elle donne aussi des informations sur les toujours accès à un contenu à jour adapté à vos besoins.
projets et les publications remplacées ou retirées.
Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Le premier dictionnaire d'électrotechnologie en ligne au monde,
Restez informé sur les nouvelles publications IEC. Just
avec plus de 22 500 articles terminologiques en anglais et en
Published détaille les nouvelles publications parues.
français, ainsi que les termes équivalents dans 25 langues
Disponible en ligne et une fois par mois par email.
additionnelles. Egalement appelé Vocabulaire
Electrotechnique International (IEV) en ligne.
Service Clients - webstore.iec.ch/csc
Si vous désirez nous donner des commentaires sur cette
publication ou si vous avez des questions contactez-nous:
sales@iec.ch.
IEC 63439-1-1 ®
Edition 1.0 2025-02
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Robotics for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution systems –
Part 1-1: Terminology for electric power robots
Robotique pour les réseaux de production, de transport et de distribution de
l'électricité –
Partie 1-1: Terminologie pour les robots électriques
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 01.040.25, 25.040.30 ISBN 978-2-8327-0143-0
– 2 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 5
3.1 General terms related to EPR . 5
3.2 Terms and definitions related to EPR classification . 6
3.3 Terms and definitions related to EPR constitution . 7
3.3.1 Mechatronic subsystem . 7
3.3.2 Perception subsystem. 9
3.3.3 Control subsystem . 10
3.4 Terms and definitions related to EPR function . 10
3.4.1 Patrol and inspection . 10
3.4.2 Detection and analysis . 12
3.4.3 Operation . 13
3.4.4 Monitoring . 14
3.4.5 Artificial intelligence for EPR . 14
3.4.6 Self-protection . 15
3.5 Terms and definitions related to EPR performance . 16
3.6 Terms and definitions related to EPR regulative restrictions . 18
3.7 Terms and definitions related to EPR safety . 19
3.7.1 Operator and robot safety . 19
3.7.2 Electromagnetic safety . 20
3.7.3 Information safety . 21
3.8 Terms and definitions related to EPR working environment . 22
3.8.1 Spatial environment . 22
3.8.2 Physical and chemical environment . 22
3.9 Abbreviated terms . 24
Bibliography . 25
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ROBOTICS FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION,
TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS –
Part 1-1: Terminology for electric power robots
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). IEC takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in
respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, IEC had not received notice of (a) patent(s), which
may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent
the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at https://patents.iec.ch. IEC
shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 63439-1-1 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 129: Robotics for electricity
generation, transmission and distribution systems. It is an International Standard.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
129/35/FDIS 129/44/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
– 4 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
A list of all parts in the IEC 63439 series, published under the general title Robotics for
electricity generation, transmission and distribution systems, can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn, or
• revised.
ROBOTICS FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION,
TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS –
Part 1-1: Terminology for electric power robots
1 Scope
This part of IEC 63439 defines terms relating to electric power robot. It defines terms used for
describing classification, constitution, function, performance, safety, working environment and
other topics relating to electric power robot.
This document applies to the design, production, testing, sales, application, maintenance,
management, scientific research of electric power robot.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
ISO 8373:2021, Robotics – Vocabulary
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in ISO 8373 and the following
apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1 General terms related to EPR
3.1.1
electric power robot
EPR
robot applied in electric power systems, such as power plants, substations, transmission and
distribution lines
3.1.2
unmanned aircraft power robot
UAVPR
unmanned aircraft power robot that can move itself in all three dimensions
3.1.3
diving electric power robot
DEPR
EPR that can move in liquids such as water and oil
– 6 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
3.1.4
electric power robot system
EPRS
system comprising the EPR, task equipment, human-robot interaction equipment, and any
ancillary facilities supporting the robot performing its task
3.1.5
patrol
activity done by the EPR which involves the collection, storage, transmission and background
display of the images, videos, audios and other information about the status of equipment and
facilities and environment
3.1.6
inspection
action comprising patrol and check of the electrical equipment and facilities along the route
through manual remote control or autonomous operation
EXAMPLE Appearance inspection equipment based on visual images, equipment temperature detection based on
infrared images, etc.
3.1.7
electrical operation
action in which the EPR operates electrical equipment in accordance with the intended task and
applicable standards
EXAMPLE Switching opening and closing, etc.
3.1.8
electrical maintenance
action in which the EPR replaces or assists a human in order to retain the electrical equipment
in, or restore it to, a state in which it can perform as required
EXAMPLE Cleaning of an electrical insulator.
3.1.9
live part
conductive part intended to be energized under normal operating conditions, including
the neutral conductor and mid-point conductor, but excluding the protective earthing neutral
conductor, protective earthing mid point conductor and protective earthing line conductor
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-195:2021, 195-02-19]
3.1.10
work environment
factors affecting the work of the EPR in its workspace
3.1.11
numbering rules
instructions for assigning a serial number to each EPR
Note 1 to entry: EPRs can be numbered with enterprise codes, functions, movement modes and design codes.
Note 2 to entry: An enterprise code can be the name of a company or a standard number.
3.2 Terms and definitions related to EPR classification
3.2.1
inspection electric power robot
IEPR
EPR that can complete inspection tasks according to preset programs or instructions
3.2.2
operation electric power robot
OEPR
EPR that can complete operation tasks related to the power system according to preset
programs or control instructions
3.2.3
rescue electric power robot
REPR
EPR that can assist or replace a human to complete tasks such as survivor search and rescue,
environmental detection, and which is adapted to an environment where it is dangerous or
difficult for humans to carry out rescue operations
3.2.4
firefighting electric power robot
FFEPR
EPR that can carry out fire extinguishing operations according to preset program or remote
control instructions
3.2.5
EPR for electricity generation equipment
robot that is used for the construction, operation, testing or maintenance of power generation
facilities such as thermal power, hydraulic power, wind power, nuclear energy and solar energy
EXAMPLE Solar photovoltaic panel cleaning robot, power station rotor detection robot, etc.
3.2.6
EPR for electricity transmission equipment
EPR that is used for the construction, operation, testing or maintenance of overhead
transmission lines, cable transmission lines, submarine cable transmission lines and their
auxiliary power facilities
3.2.7
EPR for electricity transformation equipment
EPR that is used for the construction, operation, testing or maintenance of alternating current
substation and converter station
3.2.8
EPR for electricity distribution equipment
EPR that is used for the construction, operation, testing or maintenance of distribution facilities
EXAMPLE Live working robot for distribution line.
3.3 Terms and definitions related to EPR constitution
3.3.1 Mechatronic subsystem
3.3.1.1
actuator
device that provides a physical output in response to an input signal in a predetermined way
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 29182-2:2013, 2.1.1]
3.3.1.2
task equipment
equipment with functions such as inspection, maintenance and live working for electric power
operation
EXAMPLE Infrared thermal imagers, lidars, robotic arms, etc.
– 8 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
3.3.1.3
pan and tilt device
platform that allows the position of the task equipment of the EPR to be adjusted in space
Note 1 to entry: The device can be used to carry inspection devices such as video cameras, ultrasonic probes,
ultraviolet imagers and infrared thermal imagers, etc.
3.3.1.4
ancillary facility
construction, machinery, electric and electronic facilities necessary for the operation of the EPR
EXAMPLE Robot control rooms, ancillary positioning and navigation facilities, transport vehicles, etc.
3.3.1.5
specialized tool
object that is specially designed or adjusted for the completion of a specific electric power task,
often installed at the end of the robotic arm, with single or combined functions such as image
shooting, detection, grabbing, cutting, welding, grinding, fastening, and cleaning
Note 1 to entry: Specialized tools include live working tools.
3.3.1.6
interaction device
device used for human-robot and robot-robot information exchange and physical interaction
EXAMPLE Control handles, keyboards, mice, monitors, voice interactive devices, wearable interactive devices, etc.
3.3.1.7
insulating aerial device
any device, extensible, articulating, or both, made essentially of insulating components and
which is primarily designed and used to position the EPR at an electric potential different from
that of earth
Note 1 to entry: An insulating aerial device may also be used to handle material if designed and equipped for that
purpose.
Note 2 to entry: An insulating aerial device does not include a chassis. When an insulating aerial device is mounted
on a mobile chassis it becomes a component of a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP).
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-651:2014, 651-22-17, modified – The word "personnel" has been
replaced by "the EPR" in the definition.]
3.3.1.8
work platform
pole platform, fenced platform or bucket on or in which EPRs performing live working stand
Note 1 to entry: Work platforms are used for erection, repair, inspection or similar work. They can be moved to the
working position.
Note 2 to entry: Where applicable, the work platform can accommodate tools and equipment.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-651:2014, 651-22-18, modified – The word "workers" has been replaced
by "EPRs" in the definition and Note 3 to entry has been deleted.]
3.3.1.9
linkage device
automation device used for assisting robots to achieve autonomous operation as well as the
linkage to electrical facilities relating to power environment
EXAMPLE The devices used for the linkage between robots and other devices (such as electric fireproof door,
electric rat guard, electric curtain).
3.3.1.10
remote handling tongs
mechanical device consisting of a gripper, a handle and a rod between them
[SOURCE: ISO 17874-1:2010, 3.4, modified – The note has been deleted.]
3.3.2 Perception subsystem
3.3.2.1
sound sensor
sensor used to detect the sound intensity of the environment
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 18038:2020, 3.27]
3.3.2.2
gas sensor
sensor that evaluates such parameters as gas composition and gas concentration and converts
them into usable output signals
3.3.2.3
inertial sensor
device that measures triaxial attitude angle and acceleration
3.3.2.4
distance sensor
sensor that measures the distance to an object
3.3.2.5
image sensor
optoelectronic device which produces electrical signals representing the optical characteristics
of an image
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-723:1997, 723-07-05]
3.3.2.6
video surveillance system
system consisting of camera equipment, monitoring and associated equipment for transmission
and controlling purposes, which can be necessary for the surveillance of a protected area
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 30137-4:2021, 3.5]
3.3.2.7
lidar
light detection and ranging
system consisting of 1) a photon source (frequently, but not necessarily, a laser), 2) a photon
detection system, 3) a timing circuit, and 4) optics for both the source and the receiver that uses
emitted laser light to measure ranges to and/or properties of solid objects, gases, or particulates
in the atmosphere
[SOURCE: ISO/TS 19159-2:2016, 4.19, modified – Note 1 to entry has been deleted.]
– 10 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
3.3.3 Control subsystem
3.3.3.1
control station
part of the robot system which contains one or more control devices intended to activate or
deactivate functions of the system or parts of the system
Note 1 to entry: The control station can be fixed in place (e.g. control panel) or moveable (e.g. control pendant).
[SOURCE: ISO 10218-2:2011, 3.4]
3.3.3.2
IEPR system for overhead transmission line
system that is used for inspecting overhead transmission lines through autonomous or remote
control mode
Note 1 to entry: The electric power inspection robot system for overhead transmission line is generally composed
of electric power inspection robots, a local monitoring system, an inspection data management system, etc.
3.3.3.3
IERP system for substation
system that is used for inspecting substations through autonomous or remote control mode
Note 1 to entry: The electric power inspection robot system in a substation is generally composed of electric power
inspection robots, a local monitoring system, an inspection data management system, a remote centralized control
system, etc.
3.3.3.4
supervisory control system
system that displays, stores, analyses and alarms the data acquired by robots and their ancillary
facilities and that is equipped with functions of task setting and remote control
Note 1 to entry: The supervisory control system is generally composed of data receivers, storage devices, display
devices, control devices and corresponding software.
3.3.3.5
local system
computer system that is installed locally to monitor the operation of EPRs
Note 1 to entry: The local monitoring system is generally composed of computers (servers), communication
equipment, monitoring and analysis software and a database.
3.3.3.6
remote system
computer system that is used for centralized monitoring and management of multiple EPRSs
3.4 Terms and definitions related to EPR function
3.4.1 Patrol and inspection
3.4.1.1
autonomous locating
selection of the optimal inspection position based on the map and positions of the inspected
equipment without any human intervention
3.4.1.2
autonomous inspection
inspection operation according to pre-planned routes and tasks without any human
interventions
3.4.1.3
shortest path routing
shortest automatically defined reachable path between the current position and the target
position based on the environment map after receiving the inspection task
3.4.1.4
path planning
planning an ordered set of poses to travel
[SOURCE: ISO 19649:2017, 3.6.4]
3.4.1.5
trajectory planning
path planning with time as parameter
[SOURCE: ISO 19649:2017, 3.6.5]
3.4.1.6
obstacle crossing
crossing obstacles without changing the pre-determined path
3.4.1.7
obstacle avoidance
preventing interference, such as approaching, contacting or collision, with obstacles by
detecting them with external state sensors and adjusting trajectory planning
[SOURCE: ISO 19649:2017, 3.6.7]
3.4.1.8
real-time communication during inspection
maintaining real-time communication with the local system during the inspection process
3.4.1.9
target status recognition
identification of the specific properties of the target and its components, such as the shape,
temperature and position by methods such as data processing, feature extraction, learning
modeling and expert systems, based on the collected information
EXAMPLE Recognition of the opening and closing status of disconnectors, automatic meter reading, etc.
3.4.1.10
autonomous return
autonomously judging and returning according to the predetermined trajectory when facing
special circumstances during its operations
3.4.1.11
one key return
specific one-shot key or button to terminate the current operation and return to the
predetermined position
3.4.1.12
relocalization
locating the new position after losing the current one
– 12 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
3.4.2 Detection and analysis
3.4.2.1
infrared detection
detecting the temperature on the surface of electrical equipment through an infrared sensor
3.4.2.2
three-phase temperature difference analysis
analysis of the difference of the temperature on the surface of electrical equipment among
phases
3.4.2.3
thermal analysis
automatically judging and analysing the current-induced heating and voltage-induced heating
defects by thermal imaging technology
3.4.2.4
gauge reading
meter reading
reading of the gauge or meter by machine vision or other detection methods
3.4.2.5
partial discharge detection
detection of the discharge phenomenon on the surface of or inside the electrical equipment by
using ultrasonic sensors, ultra-high frequency sensors and other sensors
3.4.2.6
tactile perception
ability to perceive the force distribution, shape, texture, slippage and temperature of an object
through physical contact
3.4.2.7
force perception
ability to perceive the interaction forces and torques
3.4.2.8
visual perception
ability to perceive surrounding environment through optical information
3.4.2.9
gas monitoring
detection of special or harmful gases in the surrounding environment
3.4.2.10
sound recognition
automatic analysis of the sound of electrical equipment and judging whether the inspected
object has defects or failures
3.4.2.11
history retrospection
checking of the data in terms of previous operations, tests, maintenance and other aspects of
equipment through information retrieval
3.4.2.12
diagnosis analysis
detection of the potential defects or faults based on data collected from robot systems
3.4.3 Operation
3.4.3.1
electrical work
working of the EPR on or near the electrical facilities that can impose risks of flash over
Note 1 to entry: Electrical work includes testing and measurement, maintenance, replacement, alteration,
extension, assemblage and inspection of electrical equipment
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-651:2014, 651-26-04, modified – The words "worker" and "electric shock"
have been replaced respectively by ”EPR” and ”flash over” in the definition and Notes 2 and 3
to entry have been deleted.]
3.4.3.2
live working
live work
contacting of a live part by the EPR, or exposing to a live area by any part, tool, device or
equipment of the EPR
Note 1 to entry: Examples of live work include: the replacement of electric insulators and spacers, the cleaning of
electric insulators and live parts, and the replacement of other components.
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-651:2014, 651-21-01, modified – The word "worker" has been replaced
by "EPR" in the definition and Notes 2 and 3 to entry have been deleted.]
3.4.3.3
wrench gear shift
rotation of the knob components on a switch cabinet to a specified gear, such as from the gear
"remote" to the gear "local", according to remote control commands
3.4.3.4
one key reset
pressing a one-shot key or button to terminate the operation of the robot, manipulator, robotic
arm, mobile platform, pan and tilt in robot system, followed by automatically restoring their
preset or initial pose under the guarantee of safety in advance
3.4.3.5
manual operation up to overhead ground line
lifting of the EPR from the ground to the overhead ground line assisted by manual operation
3.4.3.6
manual operation down from overhead ground line
lowering of the EPR from the overhead ground line to the ground assisted by manual operation
3.4.3.7
automatic operation up to overhead ground line
EPR which automatically lifts itself from the ground to overhead ground line through a
specialized device
3.4.3.8
automatic operation down from overhead ground line
EPR which automatically lowers itself from the overhead ground line to the ground through a
specialized device
3.4.3.9
two-way voice intercom
real-time conversation between the operators at both robot side and control room side
– 14 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
3.4.3.10
voice interaction
communication between the EPR and the operators through speech recognition, semantic
comprehension, speech feedback and other modules
3.4.3.11
auxiliary work
assisting in electrical equipment operation, including managing and delivering tools as well as
other repetitive operations
3.4.4 Monitoring
3.4.4.1
abnormal environment monitoring
monitoring of abnormal phenomena in the environment, such as small animals, water leakage
and abnormal temperature and humidity
3.4.4.2
operation monitoring
automatically following human staff by recording their work process to analyze the potential
violations and sending alarms
3.4.4.3
audible and visual alarm
sending of alarms marked by a certain colour or frequency through via sound or flashing light
3.4.4.4
remote alarm
alerting of a central point by telecommunication to the occurrence of an unwanted situation or
event
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-701:1988, 701-01-30]
3.4.5 Artificial intelligence for EPR
3.4.5.1
intelligent decision
process in which solutions for specific tasks are figured out by the EPR through knowledge
base building, machine learning, etc.
3.4.5.2
environmental cognition
process in which the EPR achieves a comprehensive awareness of the external environment
through multiple sensors
3.4.5.3
situation awareness
process in which the EPR acquires, recognizes and predicts the factors that can induce the
status change in a large-scale system environment
3.4.5.4
image recognition
process in which the EPR recognizes and analyzes the images, constituting objects of the
images as well as their characteristics and spatial relationships
Note 1 to entry: Image recognition includes application scenario analysis.
3.4.5.5
speech recognition
process in which the EPR recognizes and analyses the information expressed by human speech
Note 1 to entry: The recognized information can be a word in a predefined sequence of words, or a phonemenon in
the predefined language. It can reflect the physiological and behavioural features of speakers through their speech
waveform and identify their biometric information.
3.4.5.6
sign recognition
automatic identification of signs such as "Work Here" and "Maintenance in Progress" in the
workspace
3.4.5.7
identity recognition
human identification through face recognition, fingerprint recognition or other methods
3.4.5.8
behavioural analysis
identification and analysis of human behavior through machine vision and other methods
3.4.5.9
natural-language understanding
natural-language comprehension
process in which the EPR extracts information from text or speech in natural language and
produces a description of the given text or speech
3.4.6 Self-protection
3.4.6.1
collision avoidance
preventing collision using external state sensors and reacting accordingly
[SOURCE: ISO 19649:2017, 3.6.8]
3.4.6.2
fall prevention
continuing task execution by reversing or turning around when facing an obvious height
difference on the path
3.4.6.3
water fording
traversing of the road surface submerged by a certain depth of water while the functions of the
robot are still in order
3.4.6.4
off-line work
continuing inspection task according to the preset routes with inspection points in the case of
interruption of telemetry and remote control signals, saving collected data and uploading data
after restoration
3.4.6.5
balance control
process of maintaining the static and dynamic stability of the EPR
[SOURCE: ISO 19649:2017, 3.5.18, modified – The synonym "balance management" has been
removed and the words "mobile robot" have been replaced by "EPR" in the definition.]
– 16 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
3.4.6.6
auto-recharging
automatically returning to the charging site and recharging when running out of battery
3.4.6.7
built-in control
specialized circuit of the on-board control system intended to check the state of the EPR
permanently
[SOURCE: IEC 63048:2020, 3.1, modified – In the term "diagnostics system" and "BCDS" have
been removed and the word "MRCS" has been replaced by "EPR".]
3.5 Terms and definitions related to EPR performance
3.5.1
rated speed
maximum speed of the EPR equipped with the rated load in normal operating conditions
[SOURCE: ISO 18646-1:2016, 3.11, modified – The words "mobile platform" have been
replaced by "EPR" in the definition.]
3.5.2
turning radius
radius of curvature of the path of the mobile platform origin
[SOURCE: ISO 19649:2017, 3.5.15]
3.5.3
reliability
ability of the EPR to complete the task requirements under the given conditions and within the
time interval
Note 1 to entry: Reliability generally refers to the robot completing the required function within the time interval.
Note 2 to entry: Reliability is usually quantified using an appropriate measurement
3.5.4
stability
ability of the EPR to keep the system function and performance characteristics unchanged
within a specified period of time under specified conditions
3.5.5
mobility
ability of the EPR to travel within its environment
[SOURCE: ISO 19649:2017, 3.1.3, modified – The words "mobile platform" have been replaced
by "EPR" in the definition and the Notes to entry have been deleted.].
3.5.6
availability
degree to which the EPR is in a workable or usable state anytime it is required and begins to
perform a task
3.5.7
adaptability
ability of the EPR to serve for a predetermined purpose during the power environment
conditions and the predetermined lifetime
EXAMPLE To adapt to its operating environment, the EPR generally has to meet certain adaptability in terms of
temperature, humidity, wind resistance, dust and water resistance, and electromagnetic disturbance resistance.
3.5.8
sealability
ability of the EPR to prevent solid particles or liquid from invading its interior and to affect the
robot's normal operation
3.5.9
cruising ability
time during which the EPR operates continuously after a complete charge
Note 1 to entry: Standby time is not included.
3.5.10
climbing ability
maximum slope angle with which the EPR can continuously move during its operations
3.5.11
standby energy consumption
electricity consumed by the EPR per unit time in standby mode
3.5.12
working energy consumption
electricity consumed by the EPR per unit time in working mode
3.5.13
inspection efficiency
time and quality for the EPR to complete a specific inspection task
3.5.14
inspection accuracy
ratio of the number of accurate inspection tasks by the EPR to the total amount of inspection
tasks required
3.5.15
localization accuracy
absolute error between actual pose and planned pose of the EPR when reaching the preset
point under rated load
3.5.16
camera registration accuracy
overlap ratio between the camera inspection image and the camera calibration image when the
robot stops at the calibration point according to the preset inspection command
3.5.17
minimum passing width
minimum width that the EPR can pass autonomously
3.5.18
anti-corrosion performance
ability of the EPR to resist corrosion damage caused by surrounding media
– 18 – IEC 63439-1-1:2025 © IEC 2025
3.5.19
explosion-proof performance
ability of the EPR to resist explosion without loss
Note 1 to entry: In a flammable and explosive environment, it also refers to the risk of environmental explosion
caused by the operations of the robot.
3.5.20
anti-vibration performance
ability to resist vibration and operate in a stable manner
3.5.21
rated load
maximum load that can be applied to the mechanical interface or mobile platform in normal
operating conditions without degradation of any performance specification
[SOURCE: ISO 8373:2021, 7.2.1, modified – Note 1 to entry has been deleted.]
3.5.22
additional load
load that can be carried by the robot, in addition to the rated load, yet is not applied at the
mechanical interface but somewhere else on the manipulator, generally on the arm
[SOURCE: ISO 8373:2021, 7.2.3, modified – In the term "additional mass" has been removed.]
3.5.23
working coverage rate
ratio of the number of completed tasks to the total target number
3.5.24
failure rate
ratio of the number of failures sets to the total sets of the EPR under specified conditions and
within a specified period of time
3.5.25
stopping distance
maximum distance travelled by the EPR origin between the initiation of the stop and the full
stop of the EPR
[SOURCE: ISO 18646-1:2016, 3.10, modified – The words "mobile platform" have been
replaced by "EPR" twice in the definition.]
3.6 Terms and definitions related to EPR regulative restrictions
3.6.1
dual instruction time
time during which a person is receiving instruction from a properly authorized remote pilot at
the controls of the remote pilot station
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-4:2020, 3.25]
3.6.2
remote pilot station
station at which the remote pilot manages the flight of an unmanned aircraft
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-4:2020, 3.64, modified – The abbreviation “RPS” has been removed from
the term.]
3.6.3
visual flight rules flight
flight conducted in accordance with the visual flight rules
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-4:2020, 3.84, modified – Note 1 to entry has been deleted.]
3.6.4
visual line-of-sight operation
operation in which the remote pilot or unmanned aircraft observer maintains direct unaided
visual contact with the unmanned aircraft system
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-4:2020, 3.85, modified – The abbreviation “VLOS” has been removed
from the term and Note 1 to entry has been deleted.]
3.6.5
detect and avoid system
system that supports the remote pilot to see, sense or detect conflicting traffic or other hazards
and take the appropriate action
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-3:2023, 3.6, modified – “DAA system” has been removed from the term.]
3.6.6
safety assurance
set of activities providing for system monitoring, measuring, assessment, and corrective action
to assure the effectiveness of risk controls
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-3:2023, 3.14]
3.6.7
strategic conflict management
first layer of conflict management that is achieved through the airspace organization and
management, demand and capacity balancing and traffic synchronization components
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-3:2023, 3.20, modified – Note 1 to entry has been deleted.]
3.6.8
controlled airspace
airspace of defined dimensions within which air traffic control service is provided in accordance
with the airspace classification
[SOURCE: ISO 21384-2:2021, 3.4, modified – Note 1 to entry has been deleted.]
3.7 Terms and definitions related to EPR safety
3.7.1 Operator and robot safety
3.7.1.1
operation safety
assurance of the safety of EPR, equipment and operators during the execution of the task
3.7.1.2
functional safety
...








Questions, Comments and Discussion
Ask us and Technical Secretary will try to provide an answer. You can facilitate discussion about the standard in here.
Loading comments...