Luckcuck, Matt (2023) Using formal methods for autonomous systems: Five recipes for formal verification. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability, 237 (2). pp. 278-292. ISSN 1748-006X

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Abstract

Formal Methods are mathematically-based techniques for software design and engineering, which enable the unambiguous description of and reasoning about a system’s behaviour. Autonomous systems use software to make decisions without human control, are often embedded in a robotic system, are often safety-critical, and are increasingly being introduced into everyday settings. Autonomous systems need robust development and verification methods, but formal methods practitioners are often asked: Why use Formal Methods for Autonomous Systems? To answer this question, this position paper describes five recipes for formally verifying aspects of an autonomous system, collected from the literature. The recipes are examples of how Formal Methods can be an effective tool for the development and verification of autonomous systems. During design, they enable unambiguous description of requirements; in development, formal specifications can be verified against requirements; software components may be synthesised from verified specifications; and behaviour can be monitored at runtime and compared to its original specification. Modern Formal Methods often include highly automated tool support, which enables exhaustive checking of a system’s state space. This paper argues that Formal Methods are a powerful tool for the repertoire of development techniques for safe autonomous systems, alongside other robust software engineering techniques.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Cite as: 1. Luckcuck M. Using formal methods for autonomous systems: Five recipes for formal verification. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability. 2023;237(2):278-292. doi:10.1177/1748006X211034970
Keywords:	Autonomous systems; automated tool support; software engineering techniques
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Computer Science
Item ID:	17468
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1177/1748006X211034970
Depositing User:	Mr Matthew Luckcuck
Date Deposited:	31 Aug 2023 09:19
Journal or Publication Title:	Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part O: Journal of Risk and Reliability
Publisher:	Sage Journals
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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