The Challenge of Autonomy

Zoom link: https://umich.zoom.us/j/93019338625

Abstract
The advent of AI is the most epic transition of our time. However, AI today is essentially restricted to the cloud. Connecting algorithms to real-world systems will let AI step out of the cloud, to operate real-world infrastructure more autonomously. This change will impact every industry, including transportation, medicine, robotics, and energy. Intelligent real-world control will change how the planet works in the next 50 years more than any other technology.

Like previous computing transitions, autonomy cannot happen without a unifying architecture to deliver it. Autonomous systems run on data. They need information at volume, scale, and speed that far exceeds enterprise designs. A software architecture for autonomy must offer real-time performance, scalability, security, and data availability across the system. Distributed autonomous systems increasingly rely on a novel concept that designs the systems around the data, rather than around active elements like services or clients. This “data-centric” design offers consistent data access to all components with a common data model.

This session will review the essential components of autonomous system software design and how they are supported by data centricity and its defining Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard.

Biography
Stan is CEO of Real-Time Innovations (RTI), the world’s largest software framework provider for autonomous systems. RTI software runs over 1750 designs in Energy, Medical, Automotive, Transportation, Defense, and Industrial Control. These include the largest power plants in North America, the Canadian Air Traffic Control system, NASA’s launch control system, nearly all Navy ships, many surgical robots, hospital device networks, wind turbine farms, trains and metro control systems, and over 250 autonomous vehicle designs. RTI has employees in 23 states and 7 countries with major offices in Silicon Valley, Colorado, and Spain. RTI is certified as a Great Place to Work and holds a top 1% rating on Glassdoor.

Stan has published more than 50 papers in both academic and industry press. He speaks widely at events and conferences on connected medical systems, intelligent transportation, smartgrid, and the role of the DDS and other connectivity standards in autonomy and smart machines.