Advances in aviation offer significant potential benefits in the transportation of packages and passengers by uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). These aircraft can improve efficiency, reduce costs, increase safety, and provide new capabilities in various industries. However, before uncrewed aircraft can be widely adopted, they must be shown to be safe. New advances in artificial intelligence and robotics can provide the fundamental components, but they can be challenging to certify using existing standards. Although machine perception and motion planning can be trained to detect and recognize hazards, they cannot be verified to a sufficient level ahead of time, making it difficult to meet aerospace certification standards. This Phase I proposal introduces a methodology to incorporate high-performance components for uncrewed aircraft in a way that guarantees a high level of assurance. Known as runtime assurance (RTA), this concept wraps less-trusted functions with high assurance functions. We propose to develop and demonstrate RTA logic as it applies to two capabilities related to critical UAS system failures and proximity to people and property: obstacle avoidance and safe landing, both of which are essential to a safe response during a forced landing event. We will demonstrate RTA logic in a modern multi-core processor architecture and validate it through the introduction of seeded faults in the autonomous landing system's software and sensors. This methodology will scale to address all functions necessary for safe flight and provide regulators, insurers, and end users the confidence needed to accelerate adoption.

Runtime assurance is broadly a good option for providing assurance for complex functions. RTA can be used in space flight for critical functions such as guidance, navigation, and control, which are essential for safe and successful space missions. For example, NASA has used RTA in its Mars rovers to ensure safe and reliable navigation over rough terrain and to avoid obstacles. This can be extended to include simulated environments and hardware-in-the-loop testing to ensure that RTA system functions correctly under a wide range of conditions.

A major challenge of the introduction of autonomous, uncrewed aircraft in the national airspace is the need to ensure safe operation while pushing for efficiency. This work provides assurance of complex autonomy functions that would otherwise be challenging or impossible to certify using existing methods. This work is applicable to commercial delivery of people/packages and police/firefighter use.