Autonomy levels in mobile machine applications

Mobile machine applications are increasingly aimed to perform tasks autonomously. Companies encounter a multitude of challenges when striving for autonomous operations. Industrial production sites have often evolved over time, leading to a mix of modern and legacy equipment. That often results in issues such as:
•missing interfaces,
•incompatible communication standards,
•software systems from different providers.

A 4-dimensional Levels of Autonomy framework is introduced to guide the development of autonomous machines and systems. The framework covers four dimensions:
•machine driving
•machine manipulation
•system operation
•system mission

It integrates both individual machine capabilities and system-wide autonomy aspects.
The ultimate vision is to contribute to a future where autonomous systems across all domains operate seamlessly and efficiently without human intervention. The framework provides a common language that enables stakeholders — such as equipment manufacturers, suppliers, experts, and system integrators — to develop and implement autonomous systems