Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have rapidly emerged as essential tools for various applications, including delivery services across all scales. However, their integration into our daily lives raises pressing safety concerns due to their potential to cause injury or property damage. Ensuring the safety of these cyber-physical systems is paramount, necessitating a robust evaluation of their capabilities through effective Test and Evaluation (T &E) processes. Existing T &E methodologies, developed for deterministic systems, fall short in addressing the inherent non-determinism of UAS operations. This study addresses the imperative of establishing new, rigorous yet adaptable T &E processes capable of effectively evaluating the safety aspects of UAS, even after their deployment in the market. This paper states initial hypothesis and present preliminary results towards a more comprehensive T &E implementation. More in-lab experiments and work has to be done. However, initial functional principles are introduced for the reader evaluation. By identifying safety-related failures in real-world scenarios, valuable lessons can be gleaned to inform the advancement of future UAS technology. Our research introduces a post-design T &E framework focused on uncovering safety-critical failures, thereby enhancing the level of autonomous drone safety. To build trust in the safety of UAS, we draw upon the Fundamentals of Software Testing and propose a hypothetical integration of Safety Integrity Levels (SILs), akin to the ISO 26262 automotive standard, into the UAS domain. This approach leverages a proven autonomy model to establish comprehensive safety guidelines tailored to delivery drones. Furthermore, we extend our investigation to include practical T &E methods in an academic laboratory setting, particularly for small drones. This exploration not only contributes to the broader research goals but also provides a tangible platform for testing and refining UAS safety strategies. In sum, our work strives to fortify the foundation of UAS safety assessment, fostering confidence in their secure integration into modern airspace.
Trusting Delivery Drones Through Academic Experimentation
Lect. Notes in Networks, Syst.
Proceedings of the Latin American Congress on Automation and Robotics ; 2023 ; Universidad Don Bosco, San Salvador, El Salvador November 15, 2023 - November 17, 2023
2024-03-31
27 pages
Article/Chapter (Book)
Electronic Resource
English