Baseline
Document the current machine, labour, timing, inputs and outcomes.
Reading method · 04
Set baselines and outcome units
Compare autonomous work with the actual alternative using agronomic, safety, labour, environmental and economic denominators.
Evidence statusField evidence framework · crop, season, site and operating-envelope validation requiredLast reviewed: 16 August 2026
04
FUURAA thesis
Coverage, detections and operating hours are intermediate measures; farm decisions require outcomes per useful unit.
Engineering map
Turn the title into engineering objects that can be observed, measured and reviewed.
Each layer states the boundary to establish and the evidence needed for the next decision.
Denominator
Use harvested unit, treated plant, saleable yield or completed operation.
Distribution
Report variation across fields, seasons, farm sizes and operator groups.
Verification questions
Write the questions first, then decide whether a demo, test, pilot or operating record can answer them.
Each question needs an object, conditions, denominator, threshold and accountable decision owner.
- 01
What real practice is the comparator?
- 02
Are quality, damage and rework counted?
- 03
Are fixed and support costs allocated to useful output?
- 04
Who gains or bears new work and risk?
Evidence to preserve
Enable the next reader to reconstruct conditions, results, failures and the decision.
A conclusion alone loses reviewability; raw records, configuration and exclusions matter too.
- 01
Evidence package 1
Predefined baseline and metric dictionary
- 02
Evidence package 2
Outcome dataset with useful denominators
- 03
Evidence package 3
Sensitivity and distribution analysis
Scope boundary
State what this evidence still cannot be generalised to.
- 01
A percentage improvement without baseline method, denominator and confidence interval is not decision-grade evidence.
- 02
This is an engineering reading and decision framework; it does not replace application-specific risk assessment, conformity work, procurement acceptance or professional advice.
Sources and evidence status
Read standards scope, measurement evidence and application conclusions separately.
Source dates and review status remain visible; external sources open in a new tab.
01
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations · Published 2022-11-02
↗02The State of Food and Agriculture 2022 — Leveraging automation
Assesses productivity, resilience, sustainability, labour, access and inequality across automation technologies and farming contexts.
USDA Agricultural Research Service · Programme page verified 2026-08-16
↗03Digital Agriculture Systems Hub (DASH)
Connects standardised metadata, automated deployment, stakeholder design and field research tools such as autonomous crop-imaging platforms.
China Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs · Policy interpretation published 2024-10-28
↗National Smart Agriculture Action Plan (2024–2028)
Sets public-service, application-expansion and demonstration actions while emphasising standards, data, services and practical adoption.