Safety risk sources of autonomous mobile machines

EasyChair Preprint 5251

Abstract

Automated functions and autonomy are increasing in mobile machines. In manual machines, humans have the main responsibility of safety. When level of automation is increased, automation needs to take moreresponsibility. Driverless cars have been leading the development of autonomous ground vehicles due to enormous amount of research. Autonomous mobile machines are operating usually isolated areas and there is a fleet management system to operate all the mobile machines, whereas driverless cars are operated locally using on-board systems. Examples of autonomous mobile machine systems can be seen in mines and ports. One special risk source of autonomous vehicles is related to perception systems. Outdoor perception sensors are not capable to operate in all environmental conditions. There are also many situations beside or behind a larger object where perception sensors are inadequate to detect persons due to required long detection range. Another specific risk source of autonomous mobile machines is communication. Communication is needed, for example, to control and use area access control system, area status and conditions information, permitted speed and task information, terrain maps and emergency commands. VTT has made a checklist to identify risk sources specific for autonomous mobile machines. The checklist does not describe the risks in detail, but it is intended to be comprehensive in device level. However, there are many kinds of different applications and new technologies are developed continuously. Therefore risk sources for all kinds of autonomous mobile applications cannot be presented. The checklist gives ideas for risk assessment to identify new risk sources.

Keyphrases: Autonomous, mobile machine, safety

@booklet{EasyChair:5251,
  author    = {Timo Malm and Risto Tiusanen and Eetu Heikkilä and Toni Ahonen and Janne Sarsama},
  title     = {Safety risk sources of autonomous mobile machines},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint 5251},
  year      = {EasyChair, 2021}}