Achieving Autonomous Operations

In research on semi-autonomous telepresence robots, a problem in which remote operators become frustrated with autonomous operations that do not match their intention has been reported. However, in previous research, a general-purpose method for automatically switching between remote and autonomous operations has not been proposed. In this paper, through the use of a general purpose arbitration model, called the accumulator based arbitration model (ABAM), we propose an adaptive switching architecture for remote and autonomous operations, named Minder. We incorporated One Minder into a semi-autonomous telepresence system autonomizing contingent behaviors, and conducted experiments to verify its utility using a robot implementing the proposed architecture. As the experiment results indicate, it was shown that One Minder can adaptively switch between remote and autonomous operations without manual switching. In addition, One Minder was also shown to reduce the operational load and frustration given to a remote operator by allowing the arbitration to properly output an autonomous operation.

The Autonomous Rough Terrain Excavator Robot (ARTER) is a retrofitted walking excavator developed for remote and autonomous operations in environments hostile to humans. This work highlights the key developments related to this robot: system design, terrain adaption controller, and high-level process controller. The original walking excavator is retrofitted with sensors, hydraulic valves, computation devices, etc., to automate it. The terrain adaption controller, which adapts the wheels automatically to the underlying uneven terrain, is implemented using deep reinforcement learning. The tasks for the robot are complex and require switching between autonomy and remote operations. Hence, a custom high-level process controller, based on behavior trees, which helps the operator control complex tasks for the robot, is developed. The remote control and autonomous behaviors of the robot are evaluated for realistic scenarios performed in a test environment.

The article considers the problem of assessing the flexibility of business processes of transport enterprises in the conditions of the modern logistics services market, which has undergone significant changes due to military operations. The author emphasizes the importance of adaptability and efficiency of logistics processes in the context of global transformations and high dynamics of the external environment. The study is based on the analysis of modern scientific approaches to define and assess the flexibility of business processes. The author considers various aspects of flexibility, including the ability of enterprises to change and adapt to conditions beyond their direct control quickly. The paper presents a methodology for assessing the flexibility of business processes, which consists of three stages: determining the significance of factors of variability of the external environment, calculating the flexibility indices of business processes and the enterprise as a whole, ranking business processes by the difference between the index of variability of the environment and the level of process flexibility. Special attention is paid to the specifics of the activities of transport enterprises in the logistics services market. The author analyzes the key business processes of such enterprises and their features in martial law conditions. The practical application of the proposed methodology for assessing the flexibility of business processes is demonstrated on the example of LLC «Trans-Service-1». The integral indices of flexibility of business processes are calculated and their impact on the overall adaptability of the enterprise is determined. The article proposes a methodology for ranking business processes by the level of flexibility and variability of the environment, which allows you to determine priority improvement areas to increase the enterprise's efficiency. The study has practical value for managers of transport enterprises, as it offers a toolkit for assessing and increasing the flexibility of business processes in an unstable external environment. The results of the work can be used to improve management strategies and increase the competitiveness of enterprises in the logistics services market.

CF4BPMN: A BPMN Extension for Controlled Flexibility in Business Processes

To simplify the usage of the Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), extending their use to a great number of applications, fully autonomous operation is needed. There are many open-source architecture frameworks for UAS that claim the autonomous operation of UAS, but they still have two main open issues: (1) level of autonomy, being in most of the cases limited and (2) versatility, being most of them designed specifically for some applications or aerial platforms. As a response to these needs and issues, this paper presents Aerostack, a system architecture and open-source multi-purpose software framework for autonomous multi-UAS operation. To provide higher degrees of autonomy, Aerostack's system architecture integrates state of the art concepts of intelligent, cognitive and social robotics, based on five layers: reactive, executive, deliberative, reflective, and social. To be a highly versatile practical solution, Aerostack's open-source software framework includes the main components to execute the architecture for fully autonomous missions of swarms of UAS; a collection of ready-to-use and flight proven modular components that can be reused by the users and developers; and compatibility with five well known aerial platforms, as well as a high number of sensors. Aerostack has been validated during three years by its successful use on many research projects, international competitions and exhibitions. To corroborate this fact, this paper also presents Aerostack carrying out a fictional fully autonomous indoors search and rescue mission.

Currently, a majority of space shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) operations are heavily supported by ground control teams and require crew intervention for even routine onboard operations. To achieve the success and efficiencies necessary to support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) envisioned manned exploration programs, technology programs, and commercial objectives a higher level of autonomous operations is needed. Candidate autonomous operations needed for next-generation missions may include robotic descent and landing, surface exploration, human/robotic cooperation, on-orbit refueling, and routine inspection and maintenance of systems, to name just a few. Meeting the level of autonomy needed to perform these tasks requires flexible architectures and new tools. The new tools must be able to both plan and execute the operations of multiple systems while working collaboratively with mission operators and/or flight crews. Additionally, these capabilities need to be incrementally demonstrated through the use of grounds systems, prototypes, or even ISS prior to the next-generation missions to minimize safety and mission success risks. This paper proposes concepts and an approach for achieving higher levels of autonomy for human space operations.

The growth in commercial and government use of small satellites and CubeSat constellations is projected to grow significantly over the next decade due to their low cost and flexibility attributes. However, managing clusters of small satellites requires some level of distribution of cognition amongst the elements of the cluster to reduce human workload and enable autonomous and robust operations. The goal of introducing cognition is to reduce the latency and increase the accuracy of detections and recognition of objects or events of interest as well as continued proper operation in the event of single or multiple sensor dropouts or mission ground station failures. We propose here an autonomy model that consists of eight levels of autonomy: Remote operation, onboard sensor processing, formation flight, dynamic retasking, onboard sensemaking, dynamic supervised replanning, and dynamic unsupervised replanning. Since space applications have the most stringent constraints on size, weight, and power, it is critical to make decisions that address where the data is stored and how it is processed. We have therefore designed a model that enables specific cognitive functions to be performed on the available data in order to enable the machine decisions that distinguish between the different levels of autonomy.

This paper presents a solution to model and specify flexible business processes using the version concept. This solution advocates a driven engineering approach considering at the CIM level, a specific meta-model, the Version Business Process (VBP) meta-model for modelling versions of Business Processes (BP), and at the PIM level, an extension of the BPMN meta-model for visualizing and user validating the modelled BP versions. This paper introduces the VBP meta-model, presents the extension of BPMN we propose to specify versions of BPs, and illustrates how we automatically map, using QVT rules, BP versions modelled using the VBP meta-model onto corresponding extended BPMN ones. This solution is intended to business process designers: it supports them for modelling and specifying flexible business processes using the version concept.KeywordsFlexible Business ProcessVersionVBP meta-modelBPMNQVT rulesMDE

Service compositions provide a promising way to realize and coordinate automated support for business activities and processes. These business processes and their automated support need to survive in highly volatile market and technical environments. Consequently, many approaches have been proposed to address the issue of flexibility support in business process modeling and enactment. However, it remains a challenge for researchers and practitioners. In this paper we provide a systematic analysis of the requirements for process flexibility in the context of service compositions, and analyze the existing approaches against these set of requirements. Based on this analysis, we draw some general observations and point to some critical issues for future investigation into business process flexibility support in service composition.

Mining Robotics and Media Change

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an architectural style that uses loosely coupled services, which have separate concerns, as the primary constituents to build software solutions as compositions of services. It emphasizes loosely coupling and interoperability of services, required for agility and flexibility of business processes (BPs), hence allowing current BPs as well as future BPs to be integrated. To design such SOA-compliant software that supports BPs, the service identification is a critical phase. Indeed, the form under which the service is located may impact the effectiveness of the SOA. More particularly, the granularity of the entire services is very crucial in attaining the flexibility. The main objective of this research is to mine BPs for SOA by introducing a new service identification approach. The approach first uses a BP mining discovery technique to discover the BP model. Then, it clusters the activities into tasks, and finally organizes tasks into an initial set of services. And checks the compliance of the resulted services against the service orientation principles. The proposed approach is validated by a case study. The approach helps large enterprises to mine their BPs, develop them, and identify services. Finally, we recommend an automation of the proposed service identification approach to making it more effective and useful BPs.

THE PURPOSE OF THE ARTICLE is to study theoretical approaches to the formation of business processes in the field of information technology in the context of digitalization. RESEARCH METHODS. The following methods were used in the article: SWOT-analysis; PESTLE-analysis; benchmarking; market and competitor research; data analysis and BI (Business Intelligence); project management; analysis and synthesis, graphical and tabular methods. PRESENTING MAIN MATERIAL. Modern development of society, digitalization of the economy, globalization and digitalization of economic processes determine fundamentally new approaches to the formation of business processes in the field of information technology in the context of digitalization. The formation of business processes in the IT sector is determined by the rapid pace of digitalization and its impact on all aspects of modern enterprises. Digitalization is a key factor in achieving competitive advantages in the global market, as it allows optimizing business processes, automating business operations, improving communication and data-driven decision-making. The role of business processes in the context of digitalization is to increase the efficiency and speed of enterprises, which allows them to respond quickly to new challenges, minimize costs and improve the quality of products and services. In the context of IT enterprises, digitalization not only accelerates processes but also radically changes the very nature of business, forcing enterprises to adapt their models, strategies, and business processes. The study of theoretical approaches to the formation of business processes in the context of digital transformation has shown that the main approaches are: classical approaches (process-oriented, Input-Output model, Project-Based Approach); modern approaches (Agile methodologies, Lean Management, DevOps). The following features of IT business processes were identified: dynamism and flexibility; innovation; project-oriented structure. The following tools are used to model and optimize business processes in the IT sector in the context of digitalization: BPMN; ERP systems; project management tools. It is proved that business processes in the IT sector cannot function without a synergistic combination of the main components of digitalization: automation, integration, analytics, flexibility and adaptability, artificial intelligence, cloud technologies. CONCLUSIONS. It is established that the digitalization of IT enterprises provides new opportunities for optimizing business processes and achieving competitive advantages. It is proved that the introduction of digital technologies contributes to the automation, integration, efficiency and flexibility of business processes. It is determined that IT enterprises should actively use innovative approaches to adapt to the latest market conditions, taking into account theoretical variations and functional aspects of digitalization. It is proved that the formation of business processes in the IT sector requires taking into account theoretical and practical aspects, where classical approaches (process-oriented, project approach) remain basic, and modern approaches (Agile, Lean and DevOps) open up new opportunities for optimizing processes and increasing their efficiency. It has been established that technological innovations, in particular artificial intelligence and cloud solutions, play a synergistic role in transforming business processes in the IT sector, helping enterprises to remain competitive in the face of rapid change and globalization. KEYWORDS: business processes; information technologies; digitalization; theoretical approaches; IT enterprises; competitive advantages; digital technologies; automation; integration; adaptation; classical approaches; modern approaches; artificial intelligence; transformation.

ABSTRACTFacing the rapidly changing business environments, implementation of flexible business process is crucial, but difficult especially in data-intensive application areas. This study aims to provide scalable and easily accessible information resources to leverage business process management. In this article, with a resource-oriented approach, enterprise data resources are represented as data-centric Web services, grouped on-demand of business requirement and configured dynamically to adapt to changing business processes. First, a configurable architecture CIRPA involving information resource pool is proposed to act as a scalable and dynamic platform to virtualise enterprise information resources as data-centric Web services. By exposing data-centric resources as REST services in larger granularities, tenant-isolated information resources could be accessed in business process execution. Second, dynamic information resource pool is designed to fulfil configurable and on-demand data accessing in business process execution. CIRPA also isolates transaction data from business process while supporting diverse business processes composition. Finally, a case study of using our method in logistics application shows that CIRPA provides an enhanced performance both in static service encapsulation and dynamic service execution in cloud computing environment.

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">Original equipment manufacturers and their customers are demanding more efficient, lighter, smaller, safer, and smarter systems across the entire product line. In the realm of automotive, agricultural, construction, and earth-moving equipment industries, an additional highly desired feature that has been steadily trending is the capability to offer remote and autonomous operation. With the previous requirements in mind, the authors have proposed and validated a new electrohydraulic steering technology that offers energy efficiency improvement, increased productivity, enhanced safety, and adaptability to operating conditions. In this paper, the authors investigate the new steering technology's capacity to support remote operation and demonstrate it on a compact wheel loader, which can be remotely controlled without an operator present behind the steering wheel. This result establishes the new steer-by-wire technology's capability to enable full autonomous operation as well.</div></div>

We have implemented upgrades to the University of Wyoming’s Red Buttes Observatory (RBO) to allow remote and autonomous operations using the 0.6 m telescope. Detailed descriptions of hardware and software components provide sufficient information to guide upgrading similarly designed telescopes. We also give a thorough description of the automated and remote operation modes with intent to inform the construction of routines elsewhere. Because the upgrades were largely driven by the intent to perform exoplanet transit photometry, we discuss how this science informed the automation process. A sample exoplanet transit observation serves to demonstrate RBO’s capability to perform precision photometry. The successful upgrades have equipped a legacy observatory for a new generation of automated and rapid-response observations.