Assessment of Hazard and Risk for Autonomous Agricultural Robots

This service supports companies in the safety design process of autonomous agricultural robots by providing expert assessments for Hazard and Risk Assessment in accordance with ISO 25119 or ISO 13849.  

Interested in this service? Contact us at adriana-del-pilar.sanchez-vargas@inrae.fr

Overview

Designing agricultural robots that operate safely and meet regulatory expectations is essential for market deployment and stakeholder trust. This service offers a structured risk assessment tailored to autonomous robotic systems in agriculture. It supports manufacturers by: 

  • Reviewing system architectures and identifying potential points for improvement. 
  • Reviewing estimation risk levels and appropriate safety integrity targets. 
  • Ensuring alignment with safety standards such as ISO 18497, ISO 25119, and ISO 13849. 

Through a third-party expert perspective, the service strengthens your risk management approach and enhances the credibility of your safety documentation. 

More about the service

Before using the service, you may face uncertainty about how to properly structure your risk analysis, estimate integrity levels, or ensure your design complies with safety standards. Your team might also lack internal experience with functional safety approaches specific to agricultural robotics.   

After using this service, you will have a detailed and structured hazard and risk analysis, reviewed by experts.

Each risk will be evaluated with justified integrity levels, and your team will receive concrete recommendations to improve system safety and documentation. This helps reduce technical risk, enhances your credibility with testing bodies, and supports a faster path to compliance.    This service helps improve the safety of agricultural robots by providing a more accurate assessment of risks in accordance with ISO 25119, ISO/PAS 21448, or ISO 13849 standards.

The determined safety integrity levels are more precise, duly justified, and at the optimal level. As a result, the architecture of the robotic system is adapted. It is also at the right level of development.  It makes the regulatory compliance of the product take a step forward. For the machine, this means greater reliability and enhanced safety. 

For the machine end-users, it clarifies usage risks and hazards in the available technical documentation and operating instructions. Achieving a strong safety image can boost the confidence of customers and business partners.  This method can also be applied to enhance the reliability of classic functions, thereby increasing their robustness.  

The assessment includes familiarisation with the operation of the robotic system and the operational design domain by experts. Discussions need to be planned to ensure a thorough understanding of the system and its use cases. The review of the risk analysis requires the participation of the development teams.   

Estimated Duration:  2 to 5 weeks, depending on system complexity and the readiness of documentation.   
Customer Inputs Required:  Technical documentation of the robotic system.  Existing risk analysis (if any). 

Functional analysis. 

Description of the robot’s Operating Design Domain (ODD). 
Overview of safety-related functions and design goals    Delivery format:  Remote assessment (standard)  Optional on-site session (1–2 days) to complement document review.1-to-1 meeting presentation about the assessment report.Final report with identified hazards, risk levels, and recommendations  Online debrief and Q&A session with your team.  Service Process:  Introductory technical exchange with the development team. 
Document review and gap analysis.  Risk scoring and assignment of safety integrity levels.  Draughting of a structured risk analysis (or validation of an existing one).   

Deliverables:  1-to-1 meeting presentation about the assessment report.  Detailed and well-founded risk analysis.  Summary report highlighting identified issues and suggestions  Follow-up Q&A session (remote) 

This assessment is specifically designed to evaluate the agricultural functionalities of each robot, taking into account its unique aspects. Our approach aligns with the standards and regulations chosen by the manufacturer, ensuring thorough compliance. For highly specialised areas concerning safety and regulations, we can engage additional experts to provide insight. These collaborative services pave the way for the development of a secure functional architecture and, ultimately, a reliable technical architecture.
Location
Remote
Type of Sector
Arable farming
Greenhouse
Horticulture
Livestock farming
Tree Crops
Viticulture
Type of service
Desk assessment
ELSA assessment
Test design
Test execution
Test setup
Accepted type of products
Design / Documentation
Physical system
Software or AI model
Other

Related Services

The service on this page can be combined with one or more of these services to provide a complete package tailored to the needs of each individual customer.