Assured Autonomy Survey

Abstract

Autonomous robots and other systems are no longer just subjects of science fiction, but are becoming common occurrences in our everyday lives. Autonomous vacuum cleaners, lawnmowers, and other household helpers are starting to be common place, with autonomous cars now being tested around the world and autonomous drones starting to be used to deliver packages and groceries. Though they will soon be common occurrences in everyday life, assuring their safety, privacy and security is still a huge challenge. A number of autonomous car accidents have occurred after millions of miles of testing, as well as other injuries from other types of autonomous systems. Assuring the proper behavior and safety of autonomous systems is an important endeavor to reduce risks in using them. This monograph discusses assurance for autonomous systems, the different approaches to assuring autonomy, formal analysis, cybersecurity, certification and research challenges.