Risk Assessment Methods for Autonomous Agricultural Machines: A Review of Current Practices and Future Needs

Abstract

Highlights Risk assessment for highly automated and autonomous agricultural machines must consider risks beyond operator risk. Engineering standards are a starting point for autonomous equipment risk assessment but are not yet adequate. Engineers designing highly automated equipment now assess risk holistically but need more tools and support. Education in accredited engineering programs and professional development should include risk assessment. Abstract. Technology continues to advance in agricultural machines and includes the development of highly automated, robotic, autonomous, and other types of machines used in fields, farmsteads, buildings, and other farm production locations. New engineering design and safety-related standards have been developed in the past half-decade, but safety remains a concern of key stakeholders and is a barrier that could influence widespread adoption. A survey of practicing engineers and researchers involved with highly automated and autonomous agricultural machine design will be presented that shows the methods for risk assessment and control currently in use including different frameworks for hazard and failure identification, prediction, and quantification. The use of engineering design standards (ASABE, ISO, and others) among practitioners is discussed including some important needs that go beyond obstacle detection and injury prevention for operators. These include safety and risk issues connected to animals, property, civic infrastructure, downtime, cyber, and environmental risk. Commonly used risk assessment methods such as the related failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) or hazard analysis and risk assessment (HARA) are a useful starting point but are based on historical data and experience that can be used to estimate the probability and severity levels of undesirable failures or incidents such as injuries. These data do not yet exist as compared to risk assessment data that can be used to assess incident occurrence probability, failure, detectability, or controllability in more traditional machines. Suggestions are presented for further development of standards and practice recommendations including software needs and operational data that might be used by autonomous machines that is informed by what we do know about past farm incidents that could include accidents, injuries, and other unexpected failures. Keywords: Automation, Autonomous agricultural machinery, Engineering design standards, Farm equipment, Risk assessment, Robotics, Safety.

Identification of Advantages and Limitations of Current Risk Assessment and Hazard Analysis Methods when Applied on Autonomous Agricultural Machineries

“…For example, the safety guidelines provided within the standards only apply to "field operations," not to scenarios or settings in which human operators, service staff, or others might carry out repairs, travel on roadways, or mount/dismount equipment. Injuries sustained during these operations have been recorded and confirmed in previous studies (Shutske et al, 2023;Lee et al, 1996). Furthermore, there are no operations in farmyards or barns, nor on public roads.…”

“…Risk assessment and hazard analysis techniques have been used in diverse industries and technologies for several years (Tucan et al, 2020;Rathour et al, 2020). However, a recent survey conducted by Shutske et al (2023) has shown that most industry professionals use a lower number of risk assessment and hazard analysis techniques with autonomous agricultural machinery than they would when analyzing non-automated agricultural machinery. One possible reason is due to the fact that autonomy is relatively new, standards and risk assessment methods take time to evolve, and there are just "fewer" methods available, and those that are useful have issues with a lack of data.…”

“…Therefore, the objective of this study is to build upon the recent study conducted by Shutske et al (2023) to identify the types and frequency of risk assessment and hazard analysis techniques used on autonomous agricultural equipment, to investigate the methods' perceived effectiveness, and to examine the advantages and limitations of each technique.…”

Untitled

“…The risk assessment for autonomous agricultural machines was investigated by J.M. Shutske et al (2023). According to the researchers, the safety of agricultural machinery is a problem for stakeholders and an obstacle to the widespread introduction of automated technical means.…”