Extended Investigation of System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) to complex autonomous systems
This project will develop a hazard analysis methodology suitable for autonomous Moon and Mars rovers with on-board computers that use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to decide and act independently to achieve their science mission objectives. The research will develop and evaluate a methodology that can be applied to these systems starting in early development when the design may be incomplete and information about the specific design is limited. New methods will be created to identify causal factors and scenarios leading to mission losses or other hazards, including flawed engineering decisions involving AI and it’s interactions within the broader system context.