22/10/2026
SAVA field notes #1 🌾
Last week we put a dummy in front of our test robot. Then a real person. 🤖
First a dummy, so nothing can go wrong. Then a person, because in the end that is who the machine has to see. đź‘€
🔬 What is SAVA?
SAVA is a research project where we work together with DTU, the Danish Technological Institute and a number of other companies. The goal is to teach machines working in fields and green areas to spot living beings in their path, and to know how far away they are.
🦌 Why it matters
A lot can hide in front of a machine. Young deer do not run when a machine approaches. They lie still in the grass. When it goes wrong, it is hard on the animal and hard on the farmer who has to deal with it afterwards. The field and the machine have to be cleaned, and nobody wants that job.
And as more machines start driving on their own, there is no longer a driver in the cab to keep watch.
đźšś Who it is for
Farmers and operators who want to work safely. And the manufacturers building the next generation of machines, both large and small.
📷📡 How we do it
A camera recognises what is ahead. A radar measures how far away it is. The two have to agree, in real time, that there is someone in front of the machine.
It sounds simple. In a field full of grass, dust and changing light, it is not. The two sensors do not see the world in the same way, and on a moving machine everything has to line up at exactly the same moment.
That is why test days like last week matter. It is where the theory meets the real world. 🌍