Emergency stop (E-stop)

An E-stop is the last line of defense and it must work even if the software has crashed. Industrial arms and AMRs normally have a red mushroom button on the body, and many also have a wireless remote. Pressing it stops motion by cutting power to the drives, not by asking the program politely.

Check where the button is and whether you can reach it quickly. Ask how the robot behaves after the stop: a humanoid that simply drops to the floor can break itself or hurt someone, so some models use a controlled lowering. Test the E-stop during commissioning and at regular intervals.