Autonomy, Trust, and Transportation

Abstract

Automation in transportation (rail, air, road, etc.) is becoming increasingly complex and interconnected. Ensuring that these sophisticated non-deterministic software systems can be trusted and remain resilient is a community concern. As technology evolves, systems are moving increasingly towards autonomy where the “machine” is intelligent: perceiving, deciding, learning, etc. often without human engagement. Our current mechanisms and policies for oversight and certification of these systems to ensure they operate robustly in safety-critical situations are not keeping pace with technology advancements. How is an autonomous system different than an advanced automatic system? How is trust different for an autonomous system? What are different perspectives on trust? Is it appropriate to apply the techniques used to establish trust in a today’s transportation systems to establishing trust in an autonomous system? This paper will examine these questions and propose a framework for discussing autonomy assurance and trust in transportation applications. We will explore further with two examples: 1) the notion of a self-driving taxi-cab; and 2) the evolution of a two-pilot flight deck, to single-pilot operations.