Between progress and responsibility Autonomous systems promise efficiency, precision, and relief for operators. But the further humans withdraw from the control loop, the higher the demand on the system: it must not only act but remain controllable in case of failure.
Safety is no longer a side issue – it has become the pivot point and often the decisive barrier in development: safety architecture, certification, redundancy, and degradation behavior. These factors determine whether a technology reaches the field or stays in the lab.
"Experts identify safety assurance as a major hurdle." – Fraunhofer IESE, White Paper “Sustainable Agriculture through AI and Autonomous Systems – But with Safety!”, 2023) Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft durch KI und autonome Systeme - aber mit Sicherheit!
Redundancy rules – What makes machines fault-tolerant
A field robot that shuts down on failure is inefficient. One that continues uncontrolled after a signal loss can be dangerous. Modern systems must therefore be able to:
System-level safety – not just a feature
NX NextMotion complies with all relevant international standards for functional safety and cybersecurity:
A recent research project from the Technical University of Munich emphasizes: "Safety in agricultural robotics must not be treated as an afterthought – it must be embedded into every level of the system architecture, from sensors to decision logic." – TUM, ICRA 2025 – New Safety Model for Autonomous Tractors (https://www.mirmi.tum.de/...)
And expectations from regulators are rising as well: "To earn public trust and regulatory approval, autonomous systems must demonstrate provable safety – not just functional redundancy, but verifiable behavior under fault conditions." – arXiv, 2025 – Safety Assurance Methodology for Robotic Autonomous Systems (https://arxiv.org/...)
Practice over PowerPoint – Safety in real-world applications
NX NextMotion is already in use in safety-critical agricultural applications: from autonomous sprayers to semi-autonomous implement carriers and remotely operated supply vehicles – across fields, roads, and farmyards. The platform not only secures driving functions, but also safeguards implements, secondary functions, and communication interfaces – including fallback layers in case of signal loss or system error.
Safety is not the end of development – it’s the beginning of trust
Safety determines whether autonomous systems are deployable. Not as an add-on, but as a core element of control and system architecture. NX NextMotion provides the foundation for this – certified, field-proven, and ready for the demands of modern agtech.
We control what moves.
Live at AGRITECHNICA 2025
Experience NX NextMotion in real-world use: with safety-centric vehicle architecture, live redundancy demos, and insights from our engineering team.
Safety is no longer a side issue – it has become the pivot point and often the decisive barrier in development: safety architecture, certification, redundancy, and degradation behavior. These factors determine whether a technology reaches the field or stays in the lab.
"Experts identify safety assurance as a major hurdle." – Fraunhofer IESE, White Paper “Sustainable Agriculture through AI and Autonomous Systems – But with Safety!”, 2023) Nachhaltige Landwirtschaft durch KI und autonome Systeme - aber mit Sicherheit!
Redundancy rules – What makes machines fault-tolerant
A field robot that shuts down on failure is inefficient. One that continues uncontrolled after a signal loss can be dangerous. Modern systems must therefore be able to:
- Detect faults early
- Transition to safe operating states (fail-operational rather than just fail-safe)
- Seamlessly activate redundant control paths
- Demonstrate certifiable safety according to international standards
System-level safety – not just a feature
NX NextMotion complies with all relevant international standards for functional safety and cybersecurity:
- ISO 26262 (ASIL D)
- SIL3 according to IEC 61508
- ISO 21434 (Cybersecurity)
- UNECE R79, FMVSS 126 – prepared for mixed and road operations
A recent research project from the Technical University of Munich emphasizes: "Safety in agricultural robotics must not be treated as an afterthought – it must be embedded into every level of the system architecture, from sensors to decision logic." – TUM, ICRA 2025 – New Safety Model for Autonomous Tractors (https://www.mirmi.tum.de/...)
And expectations from regulators are rising as well: "To earn public trust and regulatory approval, autonomous systems must demonstrate provable safety – not just functional redundancy, but verifiable behavior under fault conditions." – arXiv, 2025 – Safety Assurance Methodology for Robotic Autonomous Systems (https://arxiv.org/...)
Practice over PowerPoint – Safety in real-world applications
NX NextMotion is already in use in safety-critical agricultural applications: from autonomous sprayers to semi-autonomous implement carriers and remotely operated supply vehicles – across fields, roads, and farmyards. The platform not only secures driving functions, but also safeguards implements, secondary functions, and communication interfaces – including fallback layers in case of signal loss or system error.
Safety is not the end of development – it’s the beginning of trust
Safety determines whether autonomous systems are deployable. Not as an add-on, but as a core element of control and system architecture. NX NextMotion provides the foundation for this – certified, field-proven, and ready for the demands of modern agtech.
We control what moves.
Live at AGRITECHNICA 2025
Experience NX NextMotion in real-world use: with safety-centric vehicle architecture, live redundancy demos, and insights from our engineering team.
