Autonomous Navigation Module for Tracked Compost Turners

In windrow composting, the most common method of commercial composting, heaps of bio-waste are turned periodically with compost turners to ensure aeration. Operating compost turners is a tedious task, and it is therefore often difficult for plant operators to find personnel. This problem could be solved with the help of self-driving compost turners. This paper presents a concept for a navigation module of an autonomous compost turner. It analyses the process of windrow composting, derives requirements for an autonomous system and presents an overview of a system design for tracked compost turners. Furthermore, it presents results of a conceptual pre-study which tested a series of navigation sensors in the environment of a composting plant. For the evaluation of the achievable accuracies, a reference trajectory was measured with robotic total stations. The tested navigation sensors are evaluated with regard to their suitability to be used for autonomous compost turners.