Research Summaries

Back Advancing the Science of Test via Simulation Experiments

Fiscal Year 2017
Division Graduate School of Operational & Information Sciences
Department Operations Research
Investigator(s) Sanchez, Susan M.
Lucas, Thomas W.
Sponsor Air Force Institute of Technology (Air Force)
Summary This project continuous previous research on simulation methodologies suitable for the test and evaluation (T&E) of autonomous systems, as well as other uses of simulation experiments to support T&E activities. Test and evaluation of autonomous systems presents challenges when applying methodologies used to test manned systems, typically related to the decision process. Autonomous systems, by definition, are intended to require no human intervention to perform their designated functions, because they are able to perceive their environment, understand their state and the state of the environment, and identify the correct action to express in the environment. Errors in any of these three main functions can result in erroneous behavior from the autonomous system. Measurement of system metrics associated with these three functions is made more challenging due to the variety of environmental conditions autonomous systems must be evaluated under, as well as the use of adaptive decision making algorithms. This research will examine the issues associated with the systematic test and evaluation of autonomous systems, by exploring the behavior of several adaptive algorithms in a simulation environment. The specific scenario of interest involves an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) as it undergoes extended testing in a littoral environment. Large-scale designed experiments involving this UUV simulation will be used to evaluate risks associated with navigational hazards and environmental conditions that the UUV may encounter during the testing phase, for potential test regimens.
Keywords Simulation design of experiments test & evaluation unmanned systems
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal