Autonomous Hard Real-time Response in Safety-Critical Systems

Autonomy introduces computational complexity, particularly when multiple behaviors are required to handle events that compromise safety. A real-time control plan specifies actions plus a resource schedule to guarantee real-time constraints will be met during plan execution. The Cooperative Real-time Control Architecture (CIRCA) was designed to automatically create and execute real-time control plans. We describe CIRCA, its application to UCAV automation, and ongoing efforts to apply this approach to autonomous spacecraft operations and satellite inspection missions.