ISO 22166-1:2021

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 22166-1
First edition
2021-02
Robotics — Modularity for service
robots —
Part 1:
General requirements
Robotique — Modularité des robots de service —
Partie 1: Prescriptions générales
Reference number
ISO 22166-1:2021(E)
©
ISO 2021

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ISO 22166-1:2021(E)

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© ISO 2021
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ISO 22166-1:2021(E)

Contents Page
Foreword .v
Introduction .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 2
3.1 General terms . 2
3.2 Terms related to component . 3
3.3 Terms related to module . 4
3.4 Terms for classification of modules . 6
3.5 Characterization of modules regarding principal function . 7
4 General provisions. 7
4.1 General . 7
4.2 Generic principles of modularity . 8
4.2.1 General. 8
4.2.2 Composability . . . 8
4.2.3 Integrability . 8
4.2.4 Interoperability . 8
4.2.5 Module granularity . 8
4.2.6 Platform independence . 8
4.2.7 Openness . 8
4.2.8 Reusability . 9
4.2.9 Safety . 9
4.2.10 Security . 9
4.3 Abstraction . 9
4.4 Electrical interfaces and communication protocols .10
4.5 Interchangeability .11
4.6 Module properties . .12
4.6.1 General.12
4.6.2 Module identification .12
4.7 Simulation .12
4.8 Data types for interoperability .13
5 Provisions for safety and security .13
5.1 General .13
5.2 Robot system level safety .15
5.3 Module level safety .16
5.4 General aspects of security .18
5.5 Steps to design security into a module .19
5.6 Physical security of modules .19
5.7 Cyber security of modules .19
6 Hardware aspects in module design .20
6.1 General .20
6.2 Requirements and guidance for hardware aspects of modules .21
6.2.1 Mechanical interfaces .21
6.2.2 Interfacing for power supply .24
6.2.3 Other aspects for module description .24
7 Software aspects in module design .25
7.1 General .25
7.2 Information model .25
7.2.1 General.25
7.2.2 Model for exchange of information among modules .26
7.2.3 Model for access to properties and its access .26
7.2.4 Model for error handling and recovering .27
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ISO 22166-1:2021(E)

7.2.5 Interoperation of software modules .28
7.3 Architectural model for software modules .29
7.3.1 General.29
7.3.2 Requirements for software modules .31
7.4 Safety/Security-related requirements for modules with software aspects .32
7.4.1 General.32
7.4.2 Interaction with safety/security manager modules .33
8 Information for use .33
8.1 General .33
8.2 Markings or Indications .34
8.3 Information for users .35
8.4 Information for service .36
Annex A (informative) Robot module template .37
Annex B (informative) Robot module examples .39
Annex C (informative) Use case examples of modularity for service robots .50
Annex D (informative) Guidance for testing robot modules .62
Bibliography .67
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ISO 22166-1:2021(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www .iso .org/ directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www .iso .org/ patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and
expressions related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the
World Trade Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www .iso .org/
iso/ foreword .html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 299, Robotics.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www .iso .org/ members .html.
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ISO 22166-1:2021(E)

Introduction
This document has been developed for the rapidly evolving service robotics sector. At present this
robotics market covers many small and niche sectors for which it is difficult to develop the specific
and wide-ranging components needed. The market sizes and applications are expected to grow
significantly, and the number and range of their functions are also increasing. To enable wide-spread
and interoperable development of service robots, a common approach for building service robots is
needed. This document lays out such common requirements.
On one side, the manufacturer-dependent architectural approaches currently adopted for designing
service robots makes design and development difficult and substitution and reuse of modules in
upgrading robot products is virtually impossible. On the other side, the research community has
developed a vast knowledge base in robot modular design and continues to develop new methods for
realising modular approaches, but none have the widespread appeal needed to make significant impact.
In these conditions, this document can assist the service robotics manufacturers to produce the quality
products at affordable cost demanded by the markets and new approaches are urgently needed to help
the markets evolve to meet the global challenges.
An International Standard on robot modularity and robot module interoperability focusing on
main issues of safety, security, connectivity (from both hardware and software perspectives) and
functionality is pivotal to change the service robotics landscape and speed up the development of the
new service robot market sectors. The robot modularity issues in this document are classified into basic
modules with hardware and/or software aspects and composite modules. Requirements and guidelines
are formulated so that module-based design approaches can be realised allowing application specific
service robots and service robot systems meeting customer’s requirements to be easily configured.
The issues are classified into (a) safety and security, and (b) interoperability guidelines. In addition,
the open modular approach realised has to enable modules to be easily substituted by other modules
having the same interface specifications but perhaps with enhanced functionalities as needed.
Safety requirements specified in existing safety standards (e.g. ISO 13482, ISO 10218-1, ISO 10218-2,
ISO/TS 15066) apply on the system level as well as on the level of a single module. The safety guidelines
at the module level of this document are formulated to ensure compliance with the C-type standards for
robot system safety. Security issues are also important when adopting an open modularity approaches
and hence have been included in this document (e.g. to align with emerging IEC/TC 44 and IEC/TC 65
security related work projects).
Future parts of the ISO 22166 series are intended to include more specific requirements on particular
types of robot modules, e.g., basic and composite modules with hardware and/or software aspects,
and for particular types of service robots, e.g., mobile servant robots, physical assistant robots, person
carrier robots, and service robots in professional environments.
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INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 22166-1:2021(E)
Robotics — Modularity for service robots —
Part 1:
General requirements
1 Scope
This document presents requirements and guidelines on the specification of modular frameworks,
on open modular design and on the integration of modules for realising service robots in various
environments, including personal and professional sectors.
The document is targeted at the following user groups:
— modular service robot framework developers who specify performance frameworks in an
unambiguous way;
— module designers and/or manufacturers who supply end users or robot integrators;
— service robot integrators who choose applicable modules for building a modular system.
This document includes guidelines on how to apply existing safety and security standards to service
robot modules.
This document is not a safety standard.
This document applies specifically to service robots, although the modularity principles presented in
this document can be utilized by framework developers, module manufacturers, and module integrators
from other fields not necessarily restricted to robotics.
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 9787, Robots and robotic devices — Coordinate systems and motion nomenclatures
ISO 12100:2010, Safety of machinery — General principles for design — Risk assessment and risk reduction
ISO/TR 22100-4, Safety of machinery — Relationship with ISO 12100 — Part 4: Guidance to machinery
manufacturers for consideration of related IT-security (cyber security) aspects
ISO/IEC 27032, Information technology — Security techniques — Guidelines for cybersecurity
IEC 61076-1, Connectors for electronic equipment-Product requirements — Part 1: Generic specification
IEC 61984, Connectors — Safety requirements and tests
IEC/TS 62443-1-1, Industrial communication networks — Network and system security — Part 1-1:
Terminology, concepts and models
IEC 62443-2-1, Industrial communication networks — Network and system security — Part 2-1:
Establishing an industrial automation and control system security program
IEC 62443-3-3, Industrial communication networks — Network and system security — Part 3-3: System
security requirements and security levels
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ISO 22166-1:2021(E)

NIST SP 800-154, Guide to data-centric system threat modelling
NIST SP 800-160 vols 1 and 2, Systems security engineering considerations for a multidisciplinary approach
in the engineering of trustworthy secure systems
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1 General terms
3.1.1
abstraction layer
interface to the system that allows some or all of the capabilities of the system to be accessed in a
different and generally more abstract manner
Note 1 to entry: An abstraction layer for a module is the same in the case where the system is the module.
3.1.2
connector
physical mechanism that enables connection and disconnection between parts of the system
EXAMPLE Communication, powering, mechanical linking.
3.1.3
electrical interface
combination of connectors and the electrical properties for transmitting power, analogue or digital signals
3.1.4
execution life cycle
finite state machine defining all stages of execution of a part’s function
3.1.5
error
discrepancy between a computed, observed or measured value or condition, and the true, specified or
theoretically correct value or condition
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-192:2015, 192-03-02]
3.1.6
failure
loss of ability to perform as required
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-192:2015, 192-03-01]
3.1.7
fault
inability to perform as required, due to an internal state
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-192:2015, 192-04-01]
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3.1.8
function
defined objective or characteristic action of a system or component or module
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765, 3.1206-5 — modified.]
3.1.9
functional safety
part of the overall safety relating to the equipment under control (EUC) and the EUC control system
that depends on the correct functioning of the electrical, electronic and programmable electronic (E/E/
PE) safety-related systems and other risk reduction measures
[SOURCE: IEC 61508-4:2010, 3.1.12]
3.1.10
hardware abstraction layer
HAL
abstraction layer for a component/module that contains hardware aspects, with the abstraction layer
providing control of the component/module via a software interface
Note 1 to entry: The purpose of a HAL is usually so that different module implementations can be accessed
through the same software interface.
3.1.11
information model
abstraction and representation of the entities in a managed environment, their properties, attributes
and operations, and the way that they relate to each other
Note 1 to entry: The information model is independent of any specific repository, usage of software aspects,
protocol, or platform.
3.1.12
security
combination of confidentiality, integrity, and availability
[SOURCE: ISO/TR 17522:2015, 3.19]
3.2 Terms related to component
3.2.1
component
part of something that is discrete and identifiable with respect to combining with other parts to
produce something larger
Note 1 to entry: Component can be either software or hardware. A component that is mainly software or
hardware can be referred to as a software or a hardware component respectively.
Note 2 to entry: Component does not need to have any special properties regarding modularity.
Note 3 to entry: Component and module have been used interchangeably in general terms, but to avoid confusion
the term module is used to refer to a component that meets the guidelines presented in this document.
Note 4 to entry: A module is a component, whereas a component does not need to be a module.
3.2.2
software component
component whose implementation consists of a computer programmed algorithm
3.2.3
hardware component
component whose implementation consists of physical elements and possibly any embedded software
necessary for its operation
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3.3 Terms related to module
3.3.1
composability
ability to assemble modules logically and physically (without need for adaptation of the modules or
additional interfacing work) using various combinations into new modules
Note 1 to entry: While ‘integration’ generally implies significant effort, ‘composition’ generally implies limited to
no effort.
3.3.2
configuration
arrangement of a composite module in terms of the number and type of modules used, the connections
between those modules, and the settings for those modules, in order to achieve the desired functionality
of the modular robot as a whole
Note 1 to entry: ISO 8373 also defines (joint) configuration but this is a different concept.
Note 2 to entry: This term describes to result of some process, i.e. the state something is in. The process of
creating such a state is covered by the term configuring (3.3.3).
3.3.3
configuring
setting the number of modules, type of modules, the connections between the modules, and the settings
for the modules in order to achieve the desired functionality of a modular service robot as a whole
3.3.4
granularity
degree to which a robot module can be broken down into separate modules
3.3.5
hardware aspects
information regarding properties and functions necessary for a module and its physical interconnection
and regarding the allowed range of physical properties of the operational environment
Note 1 to entry: Physical interconnection information includes mechanical properties (material, shape, pose,
size, forces/torques), electrical and electromagnetic properties, pneumatic and hydraulic properties.
Note 2 to entry: Operational environmental properties include forces, temperature, humidity, vibration and
mechanical shock, illumination and noise (sound and electro-magnetic).
3.3.6
infrastructure
structured facilities and resources to support the operation of modules and systems
3.3.7
interface
shared boundary between two or more functional modules, defined by various characteristics
pertaining to the functions, signal exchanges, and other characteristics
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765:2017, 3.2058, definition 1]
3.3.8
interoperability
capability to communicate, execute programs or transfer data or power among modules or combine
modules physically and/or logically in a manner that requires the user to have little or no knowledge of
the unique characteristics of the individual modules
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3.3.9
interchangeability
module property allowing it to be capable of being used to replace another module
Note 1 to entry: Such interchangeability can relate to modules produced by one manufacturer or from different
manufacturers.
3.3.10
mechanical interface
physical means of connection with other modules used for the transmission of physical forces and
facilitating module function and/or configuring structure
Note 1 to entry: Transmitted physical forces include forces controlled for an intended purpose as part of planned
function, and uncontrolled forces both intentional (e.g. structural support) and unintentional (e.g. cushioning).
Note 2 to entry: ISO 8373 uses the term for the mechanical interface between a manipulator and the end-effector.
In this document, the term is used in a broader sense, including any mechanical interface between robot modules.
3.3.11
modularity
set of characteristics which allow systems to be separated into discrete modu
...