Sensor fusion of IMU and GPS for geofencing on an industrial control system for safe mowing in road areas

The paper presents the implementation of geofencing on a mobile industrial controller for the automation of a mobile carrier vehicle for agricultural use. This system is used to prevent collision with well-known obstacles as well as avoid the accidental run-away of the vehicle under autonomous operation. It describes the mathematical principle used, as well as the additional features needed for a practical implementation on an industrial controller. As it is necessary to ensure the operation under real-world conditions, the paper also handles the data acquisition, pre-filtering and sensor fusion for system. Finally the correct behavior of the system is evaluated with multiple test-cases as well as experimental field tests.