Robot Safety and Acceptable Use Policy

Last updated: 2026

This policy sets expectations for safely operating a SwayForm robot in a classroom or club setting, and for acceptable use of the student accounts, code submission queue, and Learning Hub. It works alongside the architectural overview on the Safety page — read both before classroom use.

Supervision

• A SwayForm robot should only run approved programs while an instructor or designated supervisor is present.
• Instructors retain execution control at all times — the ability to start, stop, and revoke approval for any program.
• New students should be introduced to safe operation, pinch zones, and the stop procedure before working near a powered robot.

Physical safety rules

• Keep hands and loose clothing clear of joints while the robot is powered, and especially during a program you have not run before.
• Do not force a joint past resistance. If a joint will not move to a commanded position, stop and investigate rather than pushing it by hand.
• Know the location of the emergency stop / servo-power cutoff before running any program.
• Reposition or approach the robot only when motion has fully stopped.
• Report unexpected motion, unusual noise, or a hot component immediately and stop the robot.

Acceptable use of student accounts and code

• Student SSH access and project tools are for coursework related to the SwayForm platform.
• Do not attempt to bypass the validation queue, instructor approval step, or the protected motion-control node to send commands directly to motor hardware.
• Project passwords, where used, are a classroom-organization feature to help students find and protect their own work on a shared account — they are not a security boundary against another student with access to the same shared filesystem. Do not rely on them to protect sensitive information.
• Do not attempt to access another student's or team's project without permission.

What instructors are responsible for

• Reviewing queued student submissions before approving execution.
• Maintaining physical supervision during robot operation.
• Following the startup/shutdown and emergency-stop procedures documented in the Learning Hub.
• Reporting hardware issues promptly rather than continuing to operate a robot with a known fault.

Repairs and modification

Student-performed repairs and 3D-printed part replacement are encouraged as a learning opportunity — see Repair — but should be done with the robot powered off and, where the Learning Hub repair guide calls for it, under instructor supervision.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent to contact@swayform.net.