Functions
State who selects route, places feet, aims sensors, interprets data and handles exceptions.
Reading method · 03
Map human role and autonomy
Separate manual driving, assisted mobility, supervised route execution and task autonomy by mission phase.
Evidence statusField mission framework · task, terrain and site validation requiredLast reviewed: 15 August 2026
03
FUURAA thesis
Autonomy is a function-and-authority map, not one label for the whole robot.
Engineering map
Turn the title into engineering objects that can be observed, measured and reviewed.
Each layer states the boundary to establish and the evidence needed for the next decision.
Authority
Assign start, pause, override, abort, retrieval and restart decisions.
Workload
Measure attention, alarms, interventions and simultaneous robots per operator.
Verification questions
Write the questions first, then decide whether a demo, test, pilot or operating record can answer them.
Each question needs an object, conditions, denominator, threshold and accountable decision owner.
- 01
Which functions are autonomous?
- 02
Who remains responsible in each mode?
- 03
What triggers handover?
- 04
Can the receiver reconstruct robot state?
Evidence to preserve
Enable the next reader to reconstruct conditions, results, failures and the decision.
A conclusion alone loses reviewability; raw records, configuration and exclusions matter too.
- 01
Evidence package 1
Mode-function-authority matrix
- 02
Evidence package 2
Intervention distribution
- 03
Evidence package 3
Handover and override test
Scope boundary
State what this evidence still cannot be generalised to.
- 01
Remote operation can be a sound safety control; hiding it inflates autonomy and understates labour.
- 02
This is an engineering reading and decision framework; it does not replace application-specific risk assessment, conformity work, procurement acceptance or professional advice.
Sources and evidence status
Read standards scope, measurement evidence and application conclusions separately.
Source dates and review status remain visible; external sources open in a new tab.
01
NIST · Updated 2026-04-24
↗02Performance of Emergency Response Robots
Defines repeatable measures across mobility, sensing, endurance, communications, autonomy, logistics, safety and operator proficiency; mission profiles combine multiple elemental tests.
DARPA · Final event 2021-09-21 to 2021-09-24
↗03Subterranean Challenge Final Event
Teams deployed autonomous systems to map, navigate and identify artifacts in unfamiliar tunnel, urban-underground and cave environments.
Boston Dynamics · Spot SDK 5.1.9 · verified 2026-08-15
↗Spot Payload Developer Guide
Documents mechanical, electrical, software, service-fault and time-synchronisation requirements for integrating sensing and manipulation payloads.