PALTZ with Sonair ADAR One: a safety zone that moves with the robot
A safety sensor does not have to stay at the edge of a workstation. In beRobox's new 3D Dynamic Safety module, it moves with the arm of a PALTZ palletizer. Sonair ADAR One is intended to detect people and objects in three dimensions while the system adapts its response to the robot's position. The solution was introduced on 19 October at PACK EXPO in Chicago.
Information checked: 22 October 2026. Illustration: beRobox / Sonair, official visualization of PALTZ protective zones. This explains the concept; it is not a photograph of a measurement or an independent test.
What a moving protective zone changes
In the configuration described, ADAR One is mounted on the robot arm. Its position changes as the machine moves, while the system combines robot-position information with detection of nearby people and objects. The aim is a more selective response when an operator enters the working area.
The manufacturers' example involves two pallet positions: a person changes a pallet on one side while the robot continues working on the other. This is not a promise that people can stand anywhere beside a moving arm. That scenario depends on the configuration, the robot's current position and the correct operation of the complete safeguarding system.
Ultrasound rather than optical measurement
ADAR One uses ultrasound for spatial detection. Sonair presents this as useful where lighting changes or reflections occur. For an integrator, the practical question is how detection behaves with the actual load, workstation geometry and obstructions, rather than the sensor's technology label alone.
Sonair says its sensor has SIL 2 / PL d certification. A certified component does not automatically certify every complete cell built around it. The application still needs assessment of control logic, stopping distance, zone settings, tools, loads and foreseeable interactions between people and the machine.
What was shown at PACK EXPO?
The launch concerns a module for the PALTZ palletizer family. The announcement describes a demonstration with a Universal Robots UR20 arm at beRobox booth LU-8718. It is a specific application of the detection approach in palletizing, not evidence that it will work unchanged in every factory.
Sonair / beRobox material about 3D Dynamic Safety, also embedded in Sonair's announcement. The film explains the manufacturer's solution; it does not replace workstation validation or independent productivity measurements.
The companies also describe continued detection of presence inside the protected area, intended to help prevent a restart while someone remains there. The launch material does not publish a comparison of unnecessary stops or productivity improvements over extended operation.
How to assess the business case
The promise is practical: fewer whole-cell interruptions during routine operator interaction. Estimating the benefit starts with the existing process. How frequently are pallets changed? How long does changeover take? Which stops arise from safeguarding, and which from material shortages or grasping problems? A clear baseline helps distinguish an improvement in safety and work organisation from an impressive demonstration.
This also provides context for Digit 5 and humanoids working alongside people: safety assessment concerns the complete application, not just a sensor or AI model. Our guide to humanoid purchasing and availability likewise explains why equipment alone is not a complete deployment.
The useful contribution is a concrete approach to avoiding unnecessary palletizing interruptions. A deployment still needs an integrator's configuration assessment, safety-function documentation and measurements across representative cycles. We do not quote a price or a percentage productivity gain because the announcements provide no comparable figures.