FENNECProof you can put on the table.
The Automated Test Cell is Fennec Engineering's physical validation environment for autonomous systems. It validates safety functions under controlled, repeatable conditions and produces certification-ready evidence automatically, feeding the results back into the ASAP Platform.
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The Automated Test Cell environment
The ASAP Test Cell is a controlled room designed for autonomous system validation. It includes motion capture, controllable lighting, an overhead obstacle gantry, and a reconfigurable floor. Software runs scenarios, captures data in sync, and writes the certification-ready report. Results feed directly back into the ASAP Platform.
V&V that just runs
It takes verification and validation from something you schedule and staff to something that just runs. Around the clock, one technician minding it.
It never stops. Lights-out regression runs overnight, so a firmware or perception change gets caught before it ships.
Every run is repeatable and versioned, which is what makes the evidence survive an audit.
Reports in hours, formatted and assessor-ready, without redoing them between campaigns.
It writes home. Results feed back into the Platform, so validation data sits next to the requirement it proves.
The problem it solves
Bringing an autonomous system to market keeps running into the same three costs. You have to verify the device behaves correctly across its full range of operating conditions. You have to validate that its safety functions perform reliably enough to satisfy a certifying authority. And you have to do both again, every time the firmware, the perception stack, the kinematics, or the hardware changes.
Done by hand, the work eats senior engineering time, generates evidence that's hard to reproduce, and pushes launches back by months. The Test Cell turns it from a manual, one-off scramble into something that runs continuously and writes its own evidence.
Where physical testing meets AI behavior
For AI-driven systems whose risks are behavioral rather than mechanical, the same rigor extends to the model itself. ASAP's Safety Harness records how thoroughly an AI drew on the safety data behind each action, so the accountability that governs a physical test also governs an AI decision. (See the ASAP Platform page for how Safety Advisor and Safety Harness work.)
What you can test
Most programs use all four of these, from one cell.
Certification testing. Evaluate safety functions against a defined standard and generate assessor-trusted reports automatically. Produces signed, versioned certification packages.
Performance testing. Author functional tests for sensor performance, kinematic accuracy, stability, and manipulation precision, beyond what any single standard requires. Produces structured engineering data and pass/fail evaluations.
Lights-out regression. Run defined test suites continuously, catching regressions from a firmware or configuration change before they reach the field. Produces continuous dashboards, defect tickets, and trend data.
Dynamic scenario simulation. Reproduce real-world situations (moving obstacles, lighting changes, stairs, drop-offs, surface transitions) with controlled, repeatable precision. Produces ground-truth-validated pass/fail records.
Two ways to run, from one interface
Certification runs use signed, versioned test definitions, so every result records exactly what was tested and stays reproducible under audit. Exploratory runs let your engineers author tests directly, for sensor characterization, calibration, or a one-off investigation. Anything you work out in an exploratory run can be promoted into a signed certification test later, so early experimentation isn't throwaway.
FAQ
What do the test cell services do?
Fennec designs and runs automated test environments (gantry, motion capture, controllable lighting, reconfigurable floor) that stage repeatable scenarios, capture data from robot and room, and generate pass/fail reports automatically.
How does overnight “lights-out” testing work?
Queue the tests and go home. The system runs them unattended and has results waiting by morning: pass, fail, and why. You check what a firmware or hardware change did without anyone pulling a night shift.
Do you build the test hardware?
Fennec partners with top-of-the-line vendors and serves as general contractor for your project. Fennec builds the platform and process that make the evidence trustworthy: the test approach, controls, data capture, and reporting.
Is the Test Cell separate from the Platform?
Yes. The Platform is a subscription; Test Cell design and V&V is its own line, scoped to your test cases, facility, and testing needs. Results feed back into the same record.
Which standards does the Test Cell support?
Testing is built around IEC 61496 (optical safety sensors, for perception testing) and ANSI B11.0 (machinery safety), producing NRTL-ready evidence. See the ASAP Platform page for the full standards set.
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See it against your own program.
Bring your standard, your system, and your timeline. We'll show you how the evidence comes together.
30 minutes. No prep required.