The robotics and autonomous systems communities have recently seen a significant and rapid increase in both the development of robots for commercial use and in interest in using robots in a wide range of novel applications. As these robotic systems, vehicles, and even embedded devices move towards much greater autonomy, we will require techniques for verification that provide much higher confidence than usual. Consequently, the analysis and test processes used for traditional systems must be significantly enhanced to provide increased confidence in this next wave of autonomous systems. The need for well understood and effective verification techniques will become vital as we move to commercial applications such as “driverless cars”, incorporate complex AI technologies, and utilize these systems in safety-critical scenarios.
