ISO 18646-3:2021

Overview

ISO 18646-3:2021 - "Robotics - Performance criteria and related test methods for service robots - Part 3: Manipulation" defines standardized methods to specify and evaluate the manipulation performance of service robots. The standard covers indoor test methods for core manipulation capabilities such as grasp size, grasp strength, grasp slip resistance, and practical use cases like opening hinged and sliding doors. Tests are run under normal operating conditions in autonomous mode, with calibrated sensors and fully operational robot configurations. The document is explicitly not a safety verification standard.

Key topics and requirements

• Grasping characteristics
  • Defined performance attributes: grasp size, grasp strength, grasp slip resistance.
  • Each attribute includes sections on purpose, test facility, test procedure, and test result reporting.
• Use cases
  • Standardized test methods for opening a hinged door and opening a sliding door, including test configuration and outcome metrics.
• Test conditions
  • Tests must be performed with the robot fully assembled, charged, and prepared per manufacturer instructions.
  • All sensors used in tests must be calibrated; robots may use any sensing/recognition methods but these must be reported.
  • Tests are executed in autonomous mode and may include multiple configurations and repeated trials.
• Scope limits
  • Focus on indoor environments (methods may be applicable outdoors); does not cover safety requirement verification.

Applications

• Provides a repeatable, objective basis to benchmark and compare manipulation capabilities of service robots (e.g., domestic assistants, hospitality robots, healthcare aides).
• Useful for:
  • Manufacturers validating gripper and manipulator designs.
  • Test laboratories conducting conformity or performance testing.
  • System integrators assessing component selection for service-robot solutions.
  • Procurement teams defining performance requirements in RFPs.
  • Researchers studying robotic grasping and manipulation metrics.

Who should use this standard

• Robot OEMs, integrators, test houses, research labs, and procurement/specification authors who need consistent, repeatable test methods for manipulation performance of service robots.

Related standards

• ISO 18646-1 (locomotion tests)
• ISO 18646-2 (pose accuracy and repeatability for mobile robots)
• ISO 9283 (manipulator position and path accuracy)
• ISO 9379:2005 (operating forces - doors) - normative reference cited by ISO 18646-3

Keywords: ISO 18646-3, service robots, manipulation, grasp strength, grasp size, grasp slip resistance, hinged door, sliding door, performance criteria, test methods.