Why humanoid robots need their own safety rules

One distinguishing feature of humanoids is that they are "dynamically stable," says Aaron Prather, a director at the standards organization ASTM International and the IEEE group's chair. This means they need power in order to stay upright; they exert force through their legs (or other limbs) to stay balanced. "In traditional robotics, if something happens, you hit the little red button, it kills the power, it stops," Prather says. "You can't really do that with a humanoid." If you do, the robot will likely fall--potentially posing a bigger risk.