RFC: Open standard for robot-to-human light signaling — looking for technical feedback from ROS 2 developers
Open standard replaces ad-hoc LED patterns with 9-state architecture for EU AI Act compliance.
Developer Nemanja Galić has proposed LSEP (Luminae Signal Expression Protocol), an open standard designed to solve the problem of inconsistent robot-to-human communication through light signals. Currently, different robotic platforms use ad-hoc LED patterns with no shared semantics—Robot A might blink blue for "idle" while Robot B uses the same signal for "navigating." LSEP creates a standardized 9-state architecture with 6 core states (IDLE, AWARENESS, INTENT, CARE, CRITICAL, THREAT) and 3 extended states (MED_CONF, LOW_CONF, INTEGRITY), providing deterministic mappings from sensor inputs like Time-to-Collision (TTC) to specific light outputs.
The protocol is specifically designed for ROS 2 integration as an isolated safety node that reads from perception pipelines without touching navigation stacks. Galić is seeking technical feedback from 20 ROS 2 developers through a free beta program that covers TTC translation, EU AI Act compliance layers (Articles 9 & 50), and sensor fusion resilience patterns. The architecture uses lifecycle nodes to keep signaling guardrails separate from autonomy logic, addressing safety-critical requirements for high-risk physical AI systems in shared workspaces.
- Standardizes robot light signals with 9-state architecture (6 core + 3 extended states)
- Designed for ROS 2 integration as isolated safety node separate from navigation
- Includes EU AI Act compliance layers for high-risk physical AI transparency requirements
Why It Matters
Enables humans to learn one universal signal language across robotic platforms, improving workplace safety and regulatory compliance.