Network on the Verification and Validation of Autonomous Systems
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: Computer Science
Abstract
Robots, driverless cars, unmanned air vehicles, etc, can all be built now. However, the main barriers holding back the widespread use of robotics and autonomous systems can be seen as societal: what should the legal framework be for such systems; how can the public come to trust these systems; how can we ensure they are safe; and how do we know such a system will make the decisions we would expect of it? All these are currently impossible to solve with any certainty.
The UK has numerous key research developments concerning the Verification and Validation (V&V) of autonomous systems that can all impact upon this problem. These are clearly of relevance to methods for designing, constructing and deploying autonomous systems but also have importance to Psychology (e.g. social robotics), Philosophy (e.g. machine ethics), and Law (e.g. certification). Constructing autonomous systems without behaviour guarantees can lead to serious outcomes, and may consequently hold back the widespread adoption of these systems.
This Network will coalesce this activity, drive the research agenda forward, and embed the necessity for V&V firmly within industry, the government, and the public.
The UK has numerous key research developments concerning the Verification and Validation (V&V) of autonomous systems that can all impact upon this problem. These are clearly of relevance to methods for designing, constructing and deploying autonomous systems but also have importance to Psychology (e.g. social robotics), Philosophy (e.g. machine ethics), and Law (e.g. certification). Constructing autonomous systems without behaviour guarantees can lead to serious outcomes, and may consequently hold back the widespread adoption of these systems.
This Network will coalesce this activity, drive the research agenda forward, and embed the necessity for V&V firmly within industry, the government, and the public.
Planned Impact
We aim to engage closely with governmental agencies, professional societies, European and international institutions to contribute to the public debate on issues influenced by the Verification and Validation (V&V) of Autonomous Systems, leveraging and deepening our existing memberships and influence in such bodies.
Many of the academics involved in the Network, together with their respective universities, have effective mechanisms for dealing with the media, with access to press offices who regularly publicise work nationally and internationally to non-academic audiences. We have already seen how autonomous systems (typically, Robotics) can spark the public's imagination. We will build on this, expand to other forms of autonomous systems (UAVs and driverless cars are natural possibilities), and target public awareness and communication. This is particularly important since V&V provides a viable route towards increased safety, reliability, and public trust.
Our aim, particularly through our Stake-holder Workshops is to engage with a broad range of industries. Although these will initially comprise companies interested in safety, reliability and certification of autonomous systems, we intend to ensure that the message concerning V&V, will be spread and so will aim for publicity across our industrial networks. The Network Portal that will be produced is also important for increased awareness, and showcasing case studies and best practice. It details academic groups within the Network, links to key/new research, case studies in V&V, descriptions of broader application of V&V techniques, material for publicity and opportunities for engagement, and further links to industrial activities. The Portal, together with the Stake-holder Workshops, will provide a focus for material and activity in this area, and will spur further industrial and publicity activities. Finally, we will engage with industrial participants, particularly at these workshops, in order to explore appropriate mechanisms for industrial V&V, ways to stimulate industrial take-up, and sustainable models for the future of the Network.
Many of the academics involved in the Network, together with their respective universities, have effective mechanisms for dealing with the media, with access to press offices who regularly publicise work nationally and internationally to non-academic audiences. We have already seen how autonomous systems (typically, Robotics) can spark the public's imagination. We will build on this, expand to other forms of autonomous systems (UAVs and driverless cars are natural possibilities), and target public awareness and communication. This is particularly important since V&V provides a viable route towards increased safety, reliability, and public trust.
Our aim, particularly through our Stake-holder Workshops is to engage with a broad range of industries. Although these will initially comprise companies interested in safety, reliability and certification of autonomous systems, we intend to ensure that the message concerning V&V, will be spread and so will aim for publicity across our industrial networks. The Network Portal that will be produced is also important for increased awareness, and showcasing case studies and best practice. It details academic groups within the Network, links to key/new research, case studies in V&V, descriptions of broader application of V&V techniques, material for publicity and opportunities for engagement, and further links to industrial activities. The Portal, together with the Stake-holder Workshops, will provide a focus for material and activity in this area, and will spur further industrial and publicity activities. Finally, we will engage with industrial participants, particularly at these workshops, in order to explore appropriate mechanisms for industrial V&V, ways to stimulate industrial take-up, and sustainable models for the future of the Network.
Organisations
Publications
Description | It has become clear that not only does the UK have a wide range of expertise in Verification and Validation, especially applied to autonomous systems, but that this work has relevance across not only industry but regulators and governmental policy makers. Through the workshops associated with the Network, we are engaging with a wide range of organisations and companies to spread the message about ensuring reliability, safety, efficacy, etc, in autonomous systems through the application of Verification and Validation techniques |
Exploitation Route | Network is open to all academics; mailing list for industry, regulatory, and governmental parties is also kept. Leading to proposal for further large-scale funding in this area (through SPF). Leading to international activities. |
Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Energy Transport |
URL | https://vavas.org/ |
Description | Through a range of workshops the Network has engaged with both industrial and regulatory bodies, helping promote the role of (academic) Verification and Validation, and educating industrial partners and regulators about new ways forward. As the workshops have progressed, a stream of industry/regulatory enquiries about getting involved (and about providing sector-specific activities) has been received. The collaborations across, and activities within, led on to further UKRI activities (such as funding via ISCF "Robots for a Safer World" Hubs), international activities (such as IEEE Technical Committee on the "Verification of Autonomous Systems"), and a continuing range of industrial/regulatory activities such as workshops and white papers. With the development of the Network it became clear that broader UKRI activity would be needed to tackle some of the key questions concerning autonomous systems. This led on to an EPSRC "big idea" and then to a business case for a "Trustworthy Autonomous Systems" programme submitted to the Strategic Priorities Fund. This £32M programme subsequently commenced in 2019 and then led on to the subsequent, large Responsible AI activity in 2023. |
First Year Of Impact | 2016 |
Sector | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Energy,Transport |
Impact Types | Economic Policy & public services |
Description | Britis Standards Institution: AMT/10 Committee on Robot Safety and Robot Ethics |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | British Standards Institution: Artificial Intelligence standards committee [ART/1] |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | https://standardsdevelopment.bsigroup.com/committees/50281655 |
Description | Co-Chair of IEEE Technical Committee on the Verificaiton of Autonomous Systems |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | https://www.ieee-ras.org/verification-of-autonomous-systems |
Description | Guidelines for Nuclear Robotics |
Geographic Reach | National |
Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
URL | https://zenodo.org/record/5012322 |
Description | Membership of IEEE P7009 Standards committee on "Failsafe Design of Autonomous Systems" |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | https://standards.ieee.org/project/7009.html |
Description | Membership of International Standards Committee (IEEE P7009 Standard for Fail-Safe Design of Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Systems) |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
URL | https://standards.ieee.org/develop/project/7009.html |
Description | Chair in Emerging Technologies |
Amount | £129,999 (GBP) |
Funding ID | CiET 1718/6 |
Organisation | Royal Academy of Engineering |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2019 |
End | 02/2028 |
Description | Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Verifiability Node |
Amount | £2,923,653 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/V026801/1 |
Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2020 |
End | 04/2024 |
Title | Model Checking Agent Programming Languages |
Description | An Open Source toolkit for prototyping BDI agent programming languages and formally verifying programs written in these languages via an interface to the JavaPathfinder model checker. |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Year Produced | 2012 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | The tool has been used in other research projects and has had impact on external organisations looking at the verification of autonomous systems. |
URL | https://sourceforge.net/projects/mcapl/ |
Description | "Towards Greater Autonomy in Space" workshop, London, January 2020 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | "Towards Greater Autonomy in Space" workshop, London, January 2020 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
URL | https://sa.catapult.org.uk/events/towards-greater-autonomy-in-space/ |
Description | Agent Verification workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | The aim of the workshop is to provide an overview of the field of Agent Verification and associated topics primarily within the UK. We hope this will be of particular value to PhD students in the area but expect it will also provide a useful networking opportunity for more established people. The format of the workshop will be a series of invited talks with the aim of providing good coverage of the research area followed by a panel session and discussion on current research challenges. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://cgi.csc.liv.ac.uk/~maryam/AVWorkshop15.html |
Description | Collaboration with National Institute for Standards and Testing (NIST), USA |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Collaboration with National Institute for Standards and Testing (NIST), USA |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
Description | ESA/CNES Software Product Assurrance and Engineering workshop, Toulouse, October 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | ESA/CNES Software Product Assurrance and Engineering workshop, Toulouse, October 2019 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Formal Methods for Autonomous Systems workshop, Porto |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Formal Methods for Autonomous Systems workshop, Porto |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
Description | Future of Nuclear Safety Cases workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Future of Nuclear Safety Cases workshop |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://cgi.csc.liv.ac.uk/~mattlck/FNRC/workshop1/ |
Description | Industrial Perspectives on the V&V of Autonomous Systems |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Workshop on "Industrial Perspectives on the V&V of Autonomous Systems" held in Sheffield in July 2016, and jointly organised with Innovate UK. Participants were across several areas: academic; industrial; regulatory; government. The aim was to showcase the Verification and Validation (V&V) challenges that industrial colleagues are facing as they look to introduce greater autonomy into their products/sectors/services. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://vavas.org/events/industrial-2016 |
Description | Invited talk at Verification of Autonomous Systems Working Group, Washigton DC, USA [Nov 2018] |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk at Verification of Autonomous Systems Working Group, Washigton DC, USA [Nov 2018] |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
URL | http://www.robotistry.org/vaswg/nist2018/nist2018.html |
Description | Legal/Regulatory Aspects and V&V |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | A one-day workshop, bringing together experts on regulations and standards relating to autonomous systems with those developing verification and validation techniques. Involved academics working on V&V and in autonomous systems areas, and participants from industrial, regulatory, and government areas all tackling "Legal/Regulatory Aspects and V&V" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://vavas.org/events/regulatory-aspects-16 |
Description | Meeting with Thales Alenia Space, Bristol |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Meeting at Thales Alenia Space, Bristol |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Royal Academy of `Engineering workshop on - Safety and ethics of autonomous systems |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Royal Academy of `Engineering, National Engineering Policy Centre workshop "Safety and ethics of autonomous systems" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Sellafield "Gamechangers" Event, Workington |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Sellafield "Gamechangers" Event, Workington, September 2019 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019,2020 |
Description | Verification & Validation of Autonomous Systems Workshop, Offshore Europe - Aberdeen |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Verification & Validation of Autonomous Systems Workshop, Offshore Europe - Aberdeen |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
Description | Verification and Validation of Autonomous Road Vehicles |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Co-organised with the UK Government's Centre for Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) we held a one-day workshop in November 2016 in London, bringing together experts on regulations and standards relating to autonomous road vehicles with those developing verification and validation techniques. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
URL | https://vavas.org/events/verification-and-validation-for-autonomous-road-vehicles |
Description | Verification and Validation of Autonomous Systems: Ethical, Social and Trustworthy behaviour |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | This workshop, held on 23-24 November 2017, brought together researchers who are developing ethical, social and trustworthy behaviour in autonomous robotics, with researchers across the range of verification and validation techniques, in an informal setting to discuss these issues, to share understanding, and to stimulate collaboration. The workshop was funded by EPSRC, through both the Network on the Verification & Validation of Autonomous Systems, and the Verifiable Autonomy research project. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
URL | https://vavas.org/pastevents/workshop-verification-and-validation-of-autonomous-systems-ethical-soci... |
Description | Verifying Autonomous Systems, Invited talk at ORCA/SOLITUDE Workshop on Safety Assurance for Deep Learning in Underwater Robotics |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Verifying Autonomous Systems, Invited talk at ORCA/SOLITUDE Workshop on Safety Assurance for Deep Learning in Underwater Robotics |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Workshop on Verification and Regulatory Issues for Remote Robotic Inspection |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Workshop bringing together acvademics, regulators, industry to look at barriers to, and opportunities for, remote robotic inspection. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://autonomy-and-verification.github.io/events/ri-regs |
Description | Workshop organisation/chairing |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Co-organised a Dagstuhl Seminar aiming to develop a "Roadmap for Responsible Robotics" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.dagstuhl.de/23371 |
Description | Workshop organisation/chairing |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Co-organised the first internaitonal workshop on "Neuro-symbolic AI for Agent and Multi-Agent systems" [NeSyMAS] in May 2023. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://albertmeronyo.github.io/nesymas23/ |
Description | Workshop organisation/chairing |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Co-ord=ganised this first international symposium on the Verificaiton of Autonomous Mobile Systems in 2023. The aim was to facilitate the transfer of knowledge and experience between academia, regulators, and industry concerning the Verification of Autonomous Mobile Systems operating over large outdoor spaces, and to work towards a report aimed at the diverse organisations involved in the use of Autonomous Systems across air, land, and sea applications, particularly those that are safety-critical. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.irt-systemx.fr/evenements/vams-is-23 |