Safety Validation of Autonomous Vehicles using Assertion-based Oracles

11/08/2021

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by   Christopher Harper, et al.

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University of Bristol

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BristolRoboticsLab

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Safety and mission performance validation of autonomous vehicles is a major challenge. We describe a methodology for constructing and applying assertion checks, operating in simulation or in the real world. We have been developing a library of assertions derived from the UK Highway Code (UKHC), as an example of a legal code of practice. Transformation of UKHC rules into logical assertions can be done either by direct translation or by physical modelling, to yield logical assertion expressions. We have developed a validation suite using a geospatial information system in an SQL database, to perform assertion checking of UKHC rules. The paper presents some initial simulation and realtime video analysis experiments that apply assertions related to vehicle overtaking, and a brief analysis of the safety and mission performance characteristics measured.