Agri-Machinery Inspection
Within the Safety Inspection program administered by the Department of Safety Inspection, the Autonomous and Auto-Steering Agri-Machinery Inspection covers agricultural tractors (ride-on type), rice transplanters (ride-on type), and combine harvesters (head-feeding type) that are either operated autonomously without an onboard operator while being monitored by the user from within or around the field, or are equipped with automated steering functions for use within the field and require an onboard operator. Inspections are conducted to assess the safety and other aspects of advanced machines and devices used in robotic and automated agricultural machinery, based on the principal inspection procedures and standards for robot and automated agricultural machinery that are specified separately for automated agricultural machinery, robotic agricultural machinery (tractors), robotic agricultural machinery (rice transplanters), and robotic agricultural machinery (combine harvesters).
In addition to the above Autonomous and Auto-Steering Agri-Machinery Inspection, the Robot Safety Evaluation Group conducts inspection services such as safety equipment inspections for agricultural tractors (ride-on type), and functional confirmation inspections for agricultural work vehicles, including agricultural tractors classified as small special motor vehicles under the Road Transport Vehicle Act, to verify that they are equipped with the functions required for operation on public roads. The Group also engages in international standardization activities at ISO and OECD concerning inspection methods and standards for the safety evaluation of robotic agricultural machinery.
We also undertake research aimed at establishing methods and criteria for the Autonomous and Auto-Steering Agri-Machinery Inspection, while taking into account manufacturers' development trends and trends in the formulation and revision of international standards.
