IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2020 - 10

(P2817) is developing a standard that
enables users to define a customized
process for verification of their autono-
mous system. The standard documents
best practices across all levels of ab-
straction within a given system. This
standard also describes a conceptual
model that assists in the development of
new verification processes for auto-
nomous systems and provides both in-
tegration guidance for developing a ver-
ification process
and the tech-
niques, method-
Currently, the
ologies, and tool
group is finalizing a types that sup-
port verification
top-level ontology
process develop-
that will provide
ment. Recently,
the group has
coherence and
been compiling
interoperability
existing verifica-
tion tools and
among the
techniques and
concepts with
establishing the
details of the
other ontological
boundaries be-
standards.
tween the to-be-
developed verifi-
cation of auto -
nomous systems guide and the existing
standards and standards under develop-
ment. This will ensure that they're
pointing guideline users to the most rel-
evant information and enable the group
to focus on the aspects that are not cov-
ered in current standards efforts. To
become involved, please contact Signe
Redfield at signe@ieee.org.
Ontological Standard for
Ethically Driven Robotics
and Automation Systems
Working Group
The Ontological Standard for Ethically
Driven Robotics and Automation Sys-
tems Working Group (P7007) aims to
create an ontological standard for ethi-
cally driven robotics and automation
systems. Over the past years, the group
has been intensively pursing this goal

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IEEE ROBOTICS & AUTOMATION MAGAZINE

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JUNE 2020

and actively discussing several topics
that comprise ethics, ethical principles,
norms, data privacy protection, trans-
parency, accountability, responsibility,
and so forth. The draft standard cur-
rently includes the following sections:
Norms and Ethical Principles Ontology,
Data Privacy and Protection Ontology,
Transparency and Accountability, and
Ethical Violation Management Ontol-
ogy. Each section has its respective
ontology expressed using Unified Mod-
eling Language and concepts and rela-
tionships axiomatized using Common
Logics. Currently, the group is finalizing
a top-level ontology that will provide
coherence and interoperability among
the concepts with other ontological stan-
dards. The Working Group expects to
submit its standard for balloting before
July 2020. For more information, please
contact Edson Prestes at prestes@inf
.ufrgs.br.
Standard for Ethically Driven
Nudging for Robotic, Intelligent,
and Autonomous Systems
Working Group
The Standard for Ethically Driven
Nudging for Robotic, Intelligent, and
Autonomous Systems Working
Group (P7008) will provide guid-
ance for developers and ethicists
involved in the design of autono-
mous, intelligent systems that seek to
"nudge" humans, that is, to influence
the choices made by humans through
subtle means. These systems may
select the individuals they nudge,
customize the means used to influ-
ence behavior, and/or learn from the
effectiveness of the nudges imple-
mented using machine learning. The
goal of the standard is to align these
systems with ethical design principles
and embody an ethical framework
grounded in respecting human auton-
omy, in particular, the human dignity
of informed, noncoerced choice. The
Working Group began in October
2018 and holds biweekly sessions by

teleconference. An overall outline for
the working draft has been com-
pleted, and three subgroups are now
developing three sections: Goals and
Limitations of Ethical Design, Archi-
tecture and Taxonomy of Nudging
Systems, and Required Elements for a
Design Method to Comply With the
Standard. For more information, please
contact Sean Dougherty at seand@
ieee.org.
Robot Agility Standard
Study Group
The Robot Agility Standard Study
Group is working toward a future stan-
dard that promotes agility for industrial
robot systems, enables industrial robots
on shop floors to be more productive
and autonomous, and requires less sup-
port from shop floor workers. Agility
comprises automatic failure identifica-
tion and recovery, automated planning
to minimize up-front robot program-
ming, and plug-and-play swappable
robots that need minimal reprogram-
ming. The Study Group has been work-
ing to engage interested parties to
ensure that there is a sufficient breadth
of industries represented. To become an
official Working Group, the group has
been preparing a project authorization
request to be submitted this summer.
For more information, please contact
Anthony Downs at anthony.downs@
nist.gov.
There is also an active effort to
include undergraduate college students
in these groups to pique their interest in
robot standards. This involves provid-
ing limited travel support for students
to attend major robotics conferences
where standards meetings are being
held. More information about this effort
can be found at https://www.ieee-ras
.org/students/ student-news-and
-announcements/1572-call-students
-participating-in-ieee-robotic-standard
ization-efforts-spirse.

https://www.ieee-ras.org/students/student-news-and-announcements/1572-call-students-participating-in-ieee-robotic-standardization-efforts-spirse https://www.ieee-ras.org/students/student-news-and-announcements/1572-call-students-participating-in-ieee-robotic-standardization-efforts-spirse https://www.ieee-ras.org/students/student-news-and-announcements/1572-call-students-participating-in-ieee-robotic-standardization-efforts-spirse

IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine - June 2020