FLOAAT, A Tool for Determining Levels of Autonomy and Automation, Applied to Human-Rated Space Systems [invited

Abstract

*† NASA’s Vision for Space Exploration will require fundamental changes to the design and operation of human spaceflight vehicles. The Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) will be designed at higher levels of autonomy and automation than previous NASA vehicles due to: communication delays, computer enhancements, and the emergence of highly reliable decision-making algorithms. At the center of this evolution in vehicle design are the questions, “What is the right balance of ground vs. onboard authority (autonomy)?” and “What is the right balance of human vs. computer authority (automation)?” To answer these questions, NASA has developed the Function-specific Level of Autonomy and Automation Tool (FLOAAT). The backbone of FLOAAT is a practical construct of separate levels of automation and autonomy for each of the 4 stages of decision-making (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act), which leverages off many of the theoretical constructs that are found in academia. This paper summarizes the process of using FLOAAT to determine levels of autonomy and automation for human-rated space systems’ requirements development. First, the procedure to functionally decompose Level 1 Requirements and Operations Concept Documents will be discussed. Second, the survey method for mapping the functionally decomposed requirements onto the FLOAAT Level of Autonomy and Automation Scales will be shown. Finally, sample results will demonstrate the application of the FLOAAT Process on the Rendezvous, Proximity Operations, and Docking (RPOD) flight phases for the CEV. The recommendation from this on-going effort is that the FLOAAT Process should be used for determining appropriate levels of autonomy and automation to be included in human-rated space system requirements.