Novanta MAG 2025-2026 - Flipbook - Page 21
P. 20
INMOTION #3
“Safety isn’t a requirement.
It’s a philosophy.”
It’s how Ricard Picas, Advanced Solutions Engineer
at Novanta, de昀椀nes progress in robotics and
automation – where precision meets protection,
and innovation is built on trust.
PERFORMANCE WITH PURPOSE
Safety, Ricard explains, is not an afterthought or a
compliance checkbox. It’s the foundation on which
everything else is built.
“Safety isn’t an add-on or a compliance step,” he
says. “It’s engineered into the core of every product
from the start.”
That belief has guided his career from academic
research to advanced engineering. With a Ph.D. in
Electronics Engineering, Ricard began at Novanta
as a hardware engineer, later leading research and
safety initiatives. Now, as part of the Advanced
Solutions team, he helps design innovative motion
control systems for humanoid and warehouse
automation leaders.
Every Novanta product is designed, veri昀椀ed, and
validated through rigorous third-party testing.
Certi昀椀ed by independent bodies and NRTL
laboratories, each drive re昀氀ects the company’s
uncompromising commitment to trust and
transparency.
SETTING NEW INDUSTRY BENCHMARKS
Every industry presents unique safety challenges
– a humanoid robot’s dynamic movement is vastly
different from a surgical robot’s precision. Yet Ricard
sees a common thread running through them all:
reliability, ef昀椀ciency, and precision motion control.
“Our strength lies in these shared foundations,”
he explains. “They enable us to adapt our
technology across industries while maintaining
uncompromising safety.”
By developing a scalable safety core, Novanta ensures
each product can be tailored to customer needs while
retaining the same rigorous standard of protection.
“Achieving functional safety certi昀椀cation isn’t about
paperwork,” he explains. “It’s about establishing
excellence – every certi昀椀ed product is a mark of
trust and reliability.”
ADVANCING THE FUTURE OF SAFE AUTOMATION
Looking ahead, Ricard believes arti昀椀cial intelligence
will de昀椀ne the next era of safety.
ENGINEERED FOR TRUST
Functional safety has existed in the robotics
industry for over two decades, often achieved
through bulky, complex systems. Novanta is
rede昀椀ning that standard.
“AI enables true human-robot collaboration,”
he says. “But it also introduces new challenges.
Traditional safety relied on deterministic rules – the
future will require adaptable safety systems that
respond intelligently in real time.”
By integrating safety directly into its drives
– removing the need for external switches, relays,
or encoders – we’ve created the smallest, most
power-dense servo drives in the world.
“The result is seamless,” Ricard says. “We’ve made
safety integration effortless, compact, and reliable
– ready for any robot, whether in a warehouse or an
operating room.”
At Novanta, the mission is clear: to go beyond
compliance and lead the evolution of safe
automation through innovation that matters.
LEADING THROUGH STANDARDS
Novanta’s leadership extends beyond technology
to global in昀氀uence by being an active contributor
to the ISO working group developing new safety
standards for dynamically stable robots – including
bipeds and quadrupeds.
ENABLING HUMAN–ROBOT COLLABORATION
As humans and machines increasingly share the
same workspace, safety becomes the invisible
bridge between them.
“Current standards weren’t written for this level of
innovation,” Ricard explains. “By helping write them,
we’re shaping the future of robotics – ensuring that
progress never comes at the cost of safety.”
“When your machine is working close to people,
one uncontrolled failure can lead to tragedy,”
Ricard emphasizes. “Functional safety is the guard
against those hazards.”
In October 2025, Novanta hosted the ISO working
group meeting in Barcelona, strengthening its role
as a global leader in de昀椀ning the next generation of
safe, intelligent motion.
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