Digital Technologies
155
Keywords
Autonomous systems, reliability, unmanned systems,
safety, agent-based systems
Expertise
An autonomous system can ‘decide for itself’ the best
course of action in a given situation without direct
human intervention. This ability is extremely useful when
human control is either impractical or expensive.
But autonomy brings new problems. Can we be sure
that the system will indeed choose to do what we want it
to do? Can we trust its decision making? What might
happen if the system learns new behaviours or
capabilities, can it become dangerous?
The University of Liverpool is a leading institute of
expertise in this field. Our Centre for Autonomous
Systems Technology has strong expertise in the
design, development and deployment of safe and
reliable autonomous systems. It brings together
interdisciplinary research excellence across the fields
of computer sciences, electrical engineering and
electronics, engineering dynamics, and virtual
engineering. Its research encompasses the construction
of hardware, the development of software to operate and
detailed analysis of software functions.
The Centre brings together interdisciplinary research
excellence in:
•
Software autonomy, agreement technologies,
reliability and safety
•
Autonomous sensors, communications, data
fusion and robotics
•
Vehicle dynamics, aerospace applications, virtual
engineering and autonomous control
•
High fidelity design, simulation and analysis
capabilities, as well as industry-facing expertise
and technological exploitation, within the Virtual
Engineering Centre at Daresbury.
4.
Autonomous systems
APPLICATION AREAS
•
Built environment
•
Civil engineering
•
Energy
•
Food supply
•
Sustainability
•
Transport and infrastructure
Also see:
Materials, Advanced Design &
Manufacturing –
1.1
Virtual design and manufacturing,
page 83
Risk, Safety & Security –
2.2
Navigation and guidance systems,
page 122
Digital Technologies –
3.2
Mobile and pervasive computing
and devices, page 153
