As part of a comprehensive testing process in accordance with the EU Machinery Directive, TÜV SÜD has assessed the integrated safety and cybersecurity concept of an autonomously operated terminal vehicle for the first time. This assessment paves the way for further steps towards CE conformity and the future of driverless operation in industrial logistics environments.
TÜV SÜD assessed the safety and cybersecurity concept of the Munich-based company Fernride, which develops autonomous terminal tractors for logistics applications. The technical assessment included a complete hazard and risk analysis, an evaluation of the functional safety concept in accordance with ISO 13849 and the validation strategy, as well as an evaluation of the cybersecurity concept. Relevant standards such as IEC 62443 were taken into account. This structured approach supported Fernride in a key intermediate step of the CE conformity assessment procedure in accordance with Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. Support throughout the entire development process TÜV SÜD always assesses complex safety architectures and cybersecurity measures in close consultation with developers.
The company contributes its expertise to the technical concept review at an early stage of development, for example in risk analysis, the definition of safety-related control functions, and the selection and classification of performance levels. In the case of Fernride, the cybersecurity measures necessary to prevent potential manipulation of autonomous functions were also analysed.
TÜV SÜD considers the interaction between safety and security to be a decisive factor in the market approval of autonomous systems.
“Combining functional safety and cybersecurity places particularly high demands on development and documentation,” explains Benedikt Pulver, Head of the Machine Safety Department at TÜV SÜD. “Our assessment provides manufacturers such as Fernride with a structured basis for validation and preparation for CE marking.”
Next steps: validation in real-world environments
Following the completion of the safety and cybersecurity assessment, the initial driverless test runs under real conditions are now being prepared in cooperation with a port terminal. TÜV SÜD will also provide technical support during these phases and continuously check compliance with regulatory requirements. The aim is to achieve full conformity assessment and subsequent CE marking, enabling driverless operation in clearly defined areas of application.
