Autonomous Systems Functional Safety Overview with Multimodality and Explainability Perspectives

Abstract

Functional safety is crucial in automation systems, particularly for autonomous vehicles. It is important because it protects humans, systems or vehicles, and operating environments from harm. Automated systems can expose operators to severe safety risks. Functional safety aims to minimize safety risks associated with autonomous systems to protect operators, the environment with nearby infrastructure and people, and the systems themselves. This paper overviews multiple facets of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques that reduce functional safety risks. As AI and Machine Learning (ML) progress theoretically and in their application, we face new technical challenges in dealing with Multimodality and Explainability. We will discuss these concepts before briefly providing their perspectives on minimizing safety risks in autonomous systems.