Hazard Management in Robot-Assisted Mammography Support

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Stefanakos, Ioannis, Bradley, Roisin, Calinescu, Radu, Townsend, Beverley, Wang, Tianyuan, Zhu, Jihong
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2026
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author Stefanakos, Ioannis
Bradley, Roisin
Calinescu, Radu
Townsend, Beverley
Wang, Tianyuan
Zhu, Jihong
author_facet Stefanakos, Ioannis
Bradley, Roisin
Calinescu, Radu
Townsend, Beverley
Wang, Tianyuan
Zhu, Jihong
contents Robotic and embodied-AI systems have the potential to improve accessibility and quality of care in clinical settings, but their deployment in close physical contact with vulnerable patients introduces significant safety risks. This paper presents a hazard management methodology for MammoBot, an assistive robotic system designed to support patients during X-ray mammography. To ensure safety from early development stages, we combine stakeholder-guided process modelling with Software Hazard Analysis and Resolution in Design (SHARD) and System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA). The robot-assisted workflow is defined collaboratively with clinicians, roboticists, and patient representatives to capture key human-robot interactions. SHARD is applied to identify technical and procedural deviations, while STPA is used to analyse unsafe control actions arising from user interaction. The results show that many hazards arise not from component failures, but from timing mismatches, premature actions, and misinterpretation of system state. These hazards are translated into refined and additional safety requirements that constrain system behaviour and reduce reliance on correct human timing or interpretation alone. The work demonstrates a structured and traceable approach to safety-driven design with potential applicability to assistive robotic systems in clinical environments.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_05749
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Hazard Management in Robot-Assisted Mammography Support
Stefanakos, Ioannis
Bradley, Roisin
Calinescu, Radu
Townsend, Beverley
Wang, Tianyuan
Zhu, Jihong
Robotics
Systems and Control
Robotic and embodied-AI systems have the potential to improve accessibility and quality of care in clinical settings, but their deployment in close physical contact with vulnerable patients introduces significant safety risks. This paper presents a hazard management methodology for MammoBot, an assistive robotic system designed to support patients during X-ray mammography. To ensure safety from early development stages, we combine stakeholder-guided process modelling with Software Hazard Analysis and Resolution in Design (SHARD) and System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA). The robot-assisted workflow is defined collaboratively with clinicians, roboticists, and patient representatives to capture key human-robot interactions. SHARD is applied to identify technical and procedural deviations, while STPA is used to analyse unsafe control actions arising from user interaction. The results show that many hazards arise not from component failures, but from timing mismatches, premature actions, and misinterpretation of system state. These hazards are translated into refined and additional safety requirements that constrain system behaviour and reduce reliance on correct human timing or interpretation alone. The work demonstrates a structured and traceable approach to safety-driven design with potential applicability to assistive robotic systems in clinical environments.
title Hazard Management in Robot-Assisted Mammography Support
topic Robotics
Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.05749