With a new safety concept—“Stop Before Collision”—the NACHI MZS Series distinguishes itself from conventional collaborative robots. While traditional cobots “Stop After Contact”, leaving some risk of accidental impact, the MZS Series prevents collisions entirely by using multiple sensors to detect human presence and control the robot’s movements accordingly.

In Southeast Asia, many workplaces have robots and humans working in close proximity, making safety a long-standing concern. At the exhibition, the response was overwhelming: remarks such as “Does it really not collide?” and “It’s revolutionary that safety and high speed can coexist” demonstrated just how much attention this technology is attracting.

This article presents the new standard of “safety × productivity” realized by the MZS Series.

An Evolved Generation of Collaborative Robots: A New Safety Concept That Stops Before Impact

In Southeast Asia, legal requirements for installing safety fences around industrial robots are often lacking. Consequently, many workplaces have robots and workers sharing the same area without physical barriers, leading to frequent contact accidents between robot hands and human operators. The MZS Series tackles these on-site safety challenges through the following innovations:

•A laser scanner continuously monitors a radius of up to 5,000 mm.
• When a person or object approaches, the robot automatically switches to collaborative mode and reduces its speed.
• Built-in arm sensors detect humans within approximately 400–500 mm and bring the robot to a complete stop.
• Once the person leaves the area, the robot automatically resumes operation—no manual restart is required.

Unlike conventional “stop after impact” collaborative robots, this robot “halts before any contact occurs”.

High-Speed, High-Precision Performance Without Compromising Safety or Productivity

The MZS Series offers more than just safety.
It inherits the high-speed, high-precision technologies developed in the MZ Series:
• Non-collaborative mode: High-speed operation up to 2,500 mm/s
• Collaborative mode: Up to 1,000 mm/s
• Repeatability: ±0.02 mm

The robot automatically resumes high-speed operation once the operator leaves the monitored area, eliminating the manual restart required by conventional collaborative robots. This effectively resolves the traditional trade-off, where “enhancing safety often came at the cost of productivity”.

＜Comparison Table: MZS Series vs. Conventional Collaborative Robots＞

Compatible with a Wide Range of Industries and Supporting a Wide Range of Industries and Environments – Designed with the Worksite in Mind

The MZS Series was developed with a thorough understanding of the genuine needs (“hon-ne”) of on-site operations.
• User-friendly size with 5 kg payload and 927 mm reach
• Washable IP67 structure
• Hollow-wrist design reduces the risk of cable interference
• Versatile for a wide range of industries, from electrical/electronic to food
• Strong potential for logistics applications, including integration with AMRs

We plan to launch the 5 kg payload model, which is especially in high demand at worksites in Southeast Asia, and a demonstration unit is already available at our Thailand subsidiary.

The Future Vision of the MZS Series — Toward a World Where “Safety × Productivity” Is the Norm

The collaborative robot market is expected to grow further due to labor shortages and rising costs. However, we believe that the key factor driving adoption is whether the robots can provide operators with a genuine sense of security.

The MZS Series delivers unprecedented value by enabling:
• High-speed operation even in environments without safety fences
• Collision risk minimized to near zero
• Automatic resumption of operation when people leave the area, ensuring productivity

The MZS Series launched globally in December 2025. Going forward, in addition to the 5 kg model, 12 kg, 18 kg, 20 kg, and 30 kg payload models are planned for sequential release.