{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,12]],"date-time":"2025-10-12T04:34:18Z","timestamp":1760243658078,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2013,11,27]],"date-time":"2013-11-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1385510400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/3.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Robotics"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Testing agricultural operations and management practices associated with different machinery, systems and planning approaches can be both costly and  time-consuming. Computer simulations of such systems are used for development and testing; however, to gain the experience of real-world performance, an intermediate step between simulation and full-scale testing should be included. In this paper, a potential common framework using the LEGO Mindstorms NXT micro-tractor platform is described in terms of its hardware and software components. The performance of the platform is demonstrated and tested in terms of its capability of supporting decision making on infield operation planning. The proposed system represents the basic measures for developing a complete test platform for field operations, where route plans, mission plans,  multiple-machinery cooperation strategies and machinery coordination can be executed and tested in the laboratory.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/robotics2040203","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2013,11,27]],"date-time":"2013-11-27T14:43:20Z","timestamp":1385563400000},"page":"203-216","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["A Test Platform for Planned Field Operations Using LEGO Mindstorms NXT"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"2","author":[{"given":"Gareth","family":"Edwards","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Aarhus, Blichers All\u00e9 20, Tjele 8830, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Martin","family":"Christiansen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Aarhus, Blichers All\u00e9 20, Tjele 8830, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dionysis","family":"Bochtis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Aarhus, Blichers All\u00e9 20, Tjele 8830, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Claus","family":"S\u00f8rensen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Engineering, University of Aarhus, Blichers All\u00e9 20, Tjele 8830, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,11,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Backman, J., Kaivosoja, J., Oksanen, T., and Visala, A. (2010). Simulation Environment for Testing Guidance Algorithms with Realistic GPS Noise Model, International Federation of Automatic Control.","DOI":"10.3182\/20101206-3-JP-3009.00024"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Harris, A., and Conrad, J.M. (2011). Survey of popular robotics simulators, frameworks, and toolkits. Southeast. Proc. IEEE.","DOI":"10.1109\/SECON.2011.5752942"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12772","DOI":"10.3390\/s120912772","article-title":"A behavior-based strategy for single and multi-robot autonomous exploration","volume":"12","author":"Cepeda","year":"2012","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"Rossmann, J., Schluse, M., Sondermann, B., Emde, M., and Rast, M. (2012, January 21\u201322). Advanced Mobile Robot Engineering with Virtual Testbeds. 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Eng."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"530","DOI":"10.1016\/j.robot.2011.03.008","article-title":"A multi-robot exploration algorithm based on a static bluetooth communication chain","volume":"59","author":"Kovacs","year":"2011","journal-title":"Robot Auton. Syst."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"463","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mechatronics.2008.11.006","article-title":"A cooperative multi-robot architecture for moving a paralyzed robot","volume":"19","author":"Simonin","year":"2009","journal-title":"Mechatronics"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biosystemseng.2009.09.009","article-title":"Conceptual model of fleet management in agriculture","volume":"105","author":"Sorensen","year":"2010","journal-title":"Biosyst. Eng."},{"key":"ref_11","unstructured":"Bricx Command Center. Available online:http:\/\/bricxcc.sourceforge.net\/."},{"key":"ref_12","unstructured":"RWTH\u2014Mindstorms NXT Toolbox for MATLAB. Available online:http:\/\/www.mindstorms.rwth-aachen.de\/."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biosystemseng.2009.09.003","article-title":"The vehicle routing problem in field logistics part I","volume":"104","author":"Bochtis","year":"2009","journal-title":"Biosyst. Eng."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1429","DOI":"10.13031\/2013.29123","article-title":"A mission planner for an autonomous tractor","volume":"52","author":"Bochtis","year":"2009","journal-title":"Trans. Asabe"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1016\/j.dss.2011.12.005","article-title":"A DSS for planning of soil-sensitive field operations","volume":"53","author":"Bochtis","year":"2012","journal-title":"Decis. Support Syst."},{"key":"ref_16","unstructured":"Oksanen, T. Path Following Algorithm for Four Wheel Independent Steered Tractor. Available online:http:\/\/cigr.ageng2012.org\/comunicaciones-online\/htdocs\/principal.php?seccion=posters&idcomunicacion=12878&tipo=3."},{"key":"ref_17","unstructured":"Blackmore, B.S., Griepentrog, H.W., Nielsen, H., N\u00f8rremark, M., and Resting-Jeppersen, J. (, January Novermber). Development of a Deterministic Autonomous Tractor. Proceedings of CIGR International Conference, Beijing, China."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Depenthal, C. (2010, January 15\u201317). Path Tracking with IGPS. Proceedings of Indoor Positioning and Indoor Navigation (IPIN), Zurich, Switzerland.","DOI":"10.1109\/IPIN.2010.5647501"}],"container-title":["Robotics"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2218-6581\/2\/4\/203\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T21:50:57Z","timestamp":1760219457000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2218-6581\/2\/4\/203"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2013,11,27]]},"references-count":18,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2013,12]]}},"alternative-id":["robotics2040203"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/robotics2040203","relation":{},"ISSN":["2218-6581"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"2218-6581"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2013,11,27]]}}}