AgroTechnoPôle, a platform led by INRAE-TSCF, in collaboration with its partners, is making available the first Agricultural Robotic Performance Assessments Tests, known as ARPA, designed to support the development of agricultural robotics.
Test availability and conditions: ARPA tests are already available to all robot manufacturers, as well as to equipment suppliers of sub-assemblies for agricultural/off-road robotics. It is important to note that these evaluations are carried out under controlled, reproducible conditions, ensuring rigorous assessment of agricultural robot performance.
The current ARPA tests: Four of the ARPA tests focus on the evaluation of safety functions, while two others assess the quality of execution of movement trajectories:
- ARPA 1: Qualification of safety systems for obstacle detection and robot safety.
- ARPA 2: Qualification of perception systems in in harsh environmental conditions (rain, fog, night).
- ARPA 3: Qualification of safety functions ensuring robots keep within their working area.
- ARPA 4: Qualification of safety systems for human detection and collision avoidance.
- ARPA PC1 – Qualification of trajectory execution accuracy of crop production robots (out-door mobility).
- ARPA PC2 – Qualification of trajectory execution accuracy of livestock robots (in-door & out-door mobility).
These tests are an integral part of the service catalog of the AgrifoodTEF project, which aims to evaluate and validate integrated AI solutions to maximize the impact of digitization in the European agricultural sector. For further information on the European AgrifoodTEF network, please consult the service catalog.
Accessibility and regulatory compliance: These tests are offered in compliance with the Machinery Regulations, integrating the use of AI in agricultural equipment, and meeting the “high risk” category. Validation by a third-party organization will be mandatory from January 2027.
Here you’ll find information sheets and test protocols.
In practice: For more information on the services offered as part of the AgrifoodTEF network, please contact us via the form (follow the link) to find out about access criteria and other details.
