Abstract
As an essential part for the development of autonomous agricultural robotics, the functional safety of autonomous agricultural machines is largely based on the functionality and robustness of non-contact sensor systems for human protection. This article presents a new step in the development of autonomous agricultural machine with a concept and the realization of a novel test method using a dynamic test stand on an agricultural farm in outdoor areas. With this test method, commercially available sensor systems are tested in a long-term test around the clock for 365 days a year and 24 h a day on a dynamic test stand in continuous outdoor use. A test over a longer period of time is needed to test as much as possible all occurring environmental conditions. This test is determined by the naturally occurring environmental conditions. This fact corresponds to the reality of unpredictable/determinable environmental conditions in the field and makes the test method and test stand so unique. The focus of the developed test methods is on creating own real environment detection areas (REDAs) for each sensor system, which can be used to compare and evaluate the autonomous human detection of the sensor systems for the functional safety of autonomous agricultural robots with a humanoid test target. Sensor manufacturers from industry and the automotive sector provide their sensor systems to have their sensors tested in cooperation with the TÜV.
Highlights
Work on the development of autonomous machines has been going on for years.In the agricultural sector, technical solutions for autonomous machines have already been developed
Commercially available sensor systems are tested in a long-term test around the clock for 365 days a year and 24 h a day on a dynamic test stand in continuous outdoor use
A test over a longer period of time is needed to test as much as possible all occurring environmental conditions. This leads to the fact that it is a test that is determined by the naturally occurring environmental conditions and cannot be planned. This corresponds to the reality of unpredictable/determinable environmental conditions in the field and makes the test method and test stand so unique
Summary
Work on the development of autonomous machines has been going on for years. In the agricultural sector, technical solutions for autonomous machines have already been developed. In order to achieve the set safety goals, a non-contact sensor system is required, which reliably detects humans outside at an early stage, that the autonomous machine reaches a safe state. For this reason, an individual test stand is developed for the autonomous feed mixer using the new test methods at the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrück in cooperation. With this dynamic test stand, commercially available sensor systems are tested in a long-term test around the clock for 356 days a year and 24 h a day in continuous outdoor use and a system will be selected that meets the individual requirements from the specific environmental conditions and machine parameters. This combination can be realized on the basis of different fusion options
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