Systems theoretic process analysis Applied to manned-unmanned teaming
Name
1121277240-MIT.pdf
Size
16.04 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
17ad2c1a2c0e6ac52294164c3dbc6fd3
Author(s)
Robertson, Jeremiah(Jeremiah Reed)
Advisor(s)
Nancy G. Leveson.
Date Issued
2019
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has identified autonomy as one of three game changing technologies for the future, along with hypersonic vehicles and directed energy weapons. One common application of autonomy that has been explored by numerous laboratories and research centers internationally is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). AFRL is hoping to develop a UAV that will act as wingman in the traditional role of fighter pilots. Autonomous UAVs have several advantages over manned aircraft. First, they can operate in extreme environments with abnormal conditions where traditional fighter aircraft cannot maneuver. Second, autonomous UAVs can operate without human input where boring tasks like searching or monitoring would fall short due to lack of situational awareness. Finally, UAVs eliminate the risk of having Air Force personnel within firing range of an enemy. However, manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) is a relatively new concept that has limited operational use. One of the challenges is designing safety into a system where automation can make decisions. The growth of MUM-T operations is primarily limited due to skeptical concerns about its safety and security. The Air Force maintains large amounts of classified data, and that information is transferred across several networks. If an enemy gained access to imagery or communications, a mission would fail and the enemy could prepare a counterattack. Prior attempts to perform a safety or security analysis of an autonomous UAV have focused on reliability as opposed to safety. FMEA and FTA calculate the probability of a component failure which is different from preventing a hazard. By following STPA, the requirements generated are directly traced back to hazards and losses, and the analysis will include interactions among components as opposed to strictly component failures.
Description
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2019
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 84-87).
Subjects
Aeronautics and Astronautics.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Terms of Use
MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.
Persistent DSpace Link
