Collaborative Research: CISE: Large: Integrated Networking, Edge System and AI Support for Resilient and Safety-Critical Tele-Operations of Autonomous Vehicles

配备人类安全驾驶员的自动驾驶汽车已经在公共道路上进行了多年的测试，现在有几家公司正在美国选定的城市提供“机器人出租车”试验服务。安全在运输中是最重要的，因为错误可能是昂贵的，危险的，甚至是致命的。关于机器人出租车在街道上制造混乱的新闻报道凸显了复杂的现实交通环境所带来的挑战。显然，尽管人工智能（AI）和机器学习（ML）发展迅速，但完全自动驾驶的自动驾驶汽车仍有很长的路要走。自动驾驶汽车远程操作建议作为一种替代方法，其中人工操作员远程控制自动驾驶汽车，可能只是部分地根据需要出现。这一概念的灵感来自新兴的第五代（5G）网络所提供的潜力。然而，到目前为止，由于仍然存在许多挑战，用于自动驾驶汽车远程操作的5G仍然更加雄心勃勃。该项目的目标是解决在5G和下一代（NextG）网络上支持（部分）AV远程操作的挑战。该项目有助于促进安全、渐进地采用（远程操作）自动驾驶汽车，以应对社会挑战，同时加速自动驾驶技术走向全自动驾驶。特别是，它为在中西部冬季和其他情况下测试自动驾驶远程操作提供了独特的机会。该项目还可作为学术界-政府-工业界合作和技术翻译的论坛，并作为扩大参与研究、教育和社区外展的连接点。这一跨学科和变革性的研究议程为AV远程操作开发了综合网络、系统和人工智能支持。关键创新包括：1)面向语义和细粒度的网络框架，利用多样性提供高带宽和低延迟；2)针对人工智能工作负载进行优化的敏捷、设计安全的边缘系统架构；3)一种新颖的应用驱动、跨层和全系统的方法，使终端设备、网络、边缘系统和人工操作员之间的合作成为可能；4)“人工智能原生”范式，跨层和系统组件系统地集成人工智能/机器学习算法，并具有内置机制，以减轻人工智能预测不准确或错误的风险；最后，5)以人为本的方法，结合比实时更快的人工智能模拟和集成的机器和人类智能，无缝地支持人在/在循环。这些创新被整合到一个名为NextMOVE的自动驾驶汽车远程操作平台原型中，该平台为（部分）远程操作的自动驾驶汽车提供弹性、安全关键的支持。这些创新广泛适用于其他工业4.0用例，包括智能制造、精准农业和远程医疗，这些对国家繁荣、安全和福祉至关重要。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Autonomous vehicles (AVs), with an in-vehicle human safety driver, have been tested on public roads for years, and several companies are now offering “robotaxi” trial services in selected US cities. Safety is of the utmost importance in transportation, as mistakes can be expensive, dangerous, or fatal. News stories about robotaxis creating havoc on the streets highlight the challenges posed by complex real-world traffic environments. Clearly, AVs with fully autonomous driving still have a long way to go, in spite of rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). AV tele-operations are suggested as an alternative approach, wherein a human operator remotely controls an AV, perhaps only partially as the need arises. This notion is inspired by the potential offered by emerging fifth-generation (5G) networks. However, as of now, 5G for AV tele-operations remains more aspirational, as many challenges remain. The goal of this project is to tackle the challenges in supporting (partial) AV tele-operations over 5G and next-generation (NextG) networks. This project helps facilitate safe and incremental adoption of (tele-operated) AVs to address societal challenges, while accelerating AV technology towards full autonomy. In particular, it provides a unique opportunity for testing AV tele-operations in Midwest winter and other scenarios. The project also serves as a forum for academia-government-industry collaboration and technology translation, and as a nexus point for broadening participation in research, education, and community outreach.This interdisciplinary and transformative research agenda develops integrated networking, systems and AI support for AV tele-operations. Key innovations include: 1) a semantics-oriented and fine-grained networking framework that exploits diversity to provide high bandwidth and low latency; 2) an agile, secure-by-design edge systems architecture that is optimized for AI workloads; 3) a novel application-driven, cross-layer and whole-system approach that enables cooperation across end devices, networks, edge systems and human operators; 4) an “AI-native” paradigm that systematically integrates AI/ML algorithms across layers and system components, with built-in mechanisms to mitigate the risks of inaccurate or false AI predictions; and finally, 5) a human-centered approach that combines faster-than-real-time AI simulations and integrated machine & human intelligence to seamlessly support human-in/on-the-loop. These innovations are incorporated into a prototype AV tele-operation platform called NextMOVE that provides resilient, safety-critical support for (partially) tele-operated AVs. The innovations broadly apply to other Industry 4.0 use cases, including smart manufacturing, precision agriculture and tele-health, which are vital to national prosperity, security, and well-being.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.