NAVIGATING

TOMORROW’S SKIES
Confidently Developing Autonomous Systems
 / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In this e-book, you will discover:

1 The state of autonomous technology in the

A&D industry today and in the future

2 The concepts driving today’s autonomous

technology and how autonomy will advance

3 Core challenges facing the innovators who

are developing autonomous technologies

4 An overview of the autonomous systems

development process

5 A glimpse into the future of the

autonomous technology market

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HOW AUTONOMY IS TRANSFORMING
THE AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE INDUSTRY

/ Just below a mountain’s peak, a small group of hikers lose their way
in the middle of an unexpected snowstorm. They radio for help, which
comes in the form of an autonomous drone, navigating through this
hazardous environment without the need for an onboard pilot.
Providing safer access to dangerous environments, increasing the efficiency
This is just one example of autonomous technology, which is rapidly
of existing processes, unlocking new possibilities (such as autonomous robot
growing within the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry. As for why
taxis), and generating new, lucrative revenue streams are all benefits of this
autonomous technology is growing in A&D, there are four main reasons:
growing technology.
1. Increased safety and operational efficiency.
The growth of autonomous technology can be seen across a wide variety of
Autonomous technology can perform tasks with precision and
applications and industries. In the depths of the ocean, unmanned underwater
consistency in challenging environments.
vehicles (UUVs) can help researchers scour the deepest parts of the seafloor
2. Improved mission capabilities. for undiscovered species. On land, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) can
Autonomous technology can conduct long-duration missions, such as transverse unsafe terrain while autonomous ordnance disposal machines can
for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). successfully recover and dispose of hazardous objects.

3. Better support for human operators. In the skies above, autonomy will help define the future of advanced air
Autonomous technology can decrease the burden of operators, such as mobility (AAM). Autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL)
by handling in-flight emergencies. vehicles can deliver goods and transport passengers. Meanwhile, far beyond
urban centers, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be deployed to help
4. Unlocking new opportunities in an emerging market. perform search and rescue missions. These autonomous aircraft would be
New applications such as autonomous last-mile delivery will grow over able to keep humans safe while functioning at a high level, even in the most
the coming years. precarious situations.

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 LEVEL 0 LEVEL 1 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 3 LEVEL 4 LEVEL 5

NO LOW PARTIAL CONDITIONAL HIGH FULL

AUTOMATION AUTOMATION AUTOMATION AUTOMATION AUTOMATION AUTOMATION

N/A SENSE & ALERT SENSE & AVOID SENSE & NAVIGATE

/ Levels of autonomy

These applications extend all the way to the far reaches of space, where The level of complexity in designing autonomous systems for use in A&D is
autonomous spacecraft could travel through uncharted skies, potentially immense and far-reaching; however, there are a few connecting threads.
making new discoveries about our universe. Rovers could explore the lunar For all applications, safety, accuracy, and reliability are essential. These goals
surface and autonomous rockets could independently perform navigation, need to be at the forefront throughout the product development process,
entry, and descent procedures — all while far away from any potential human from mission engineering and product engineering to systems integration
guidance. and operations. This requires a seamless and coordinated design flow, from
hardware and software development to manufacturing and deployment.
Beyond specific applications, autonomous technology itself is multifaceted
and rapidly evolving from augmented human control to full automation, with While A&D teams share these requirements, achieving these goals is not a
potential applications that stretch from today to the near future. simple endeavor.

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THE CHALLENGES OF CREATING
CUTTING-EDGE AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY

/ No matter their application or complexity, at their core, autonomous systems need to:

• Collect data with sensors

• Perceive the world and situations around them
• Analyze this data with command, control, and intelligence (C2I) systems
• Make decisions and plans
• Act on these decisions to execute their specific function(s)

The different parts of an autonomous system need to communicate with one another to
share information, and the autonomous system itself needs to communicate with the outside
world, such as with other autonomous vehicles, infrastructure, or smart cities. To achieve this
functionality, all parts must be designed with a throughline of safety, reliability, performance,
and accuracy. The challenge of achieving these goals is compounded by the need to produce
affordable, time-efficient, and innovative products that can truly revolutionize the A&D industry.

Safety and reliability are key when designing autonomous technologies. Ensuring that innovative
technology fulfills regulatory requirements and passes formal verification and validation (V&V)
processes is imperative. This is challenging due to the complexity of autonomous systems and the
need to ensure safety in all areas of the design while also ensuring that the finished product can
operate flawlessly in complex and dynamic operational environments. Adding to this complexity is
the fact that autonomous technologies are rapidly developing, resulting in corresponding delays
and changes in regulatory frameworks that may need to be addressed during the design process.

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 SAFETY AND REDUNDANCY

SENSORS & DATA PERCEPTION AND COMMAND, CONTROL, DECISION MAKING EXECUTION AND
ACQUISITION SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND INTELLIGENCE (C2I) AND PLANNING CONTROL

COMMUNICATION AND DATA LINKS

COLLECT PERCEIVE ANALYZE DECIDE ACT

/ Functional architectural viewpoint

Of course, ensuring the safety and reliability of autonomous systems also To complicate matters more, addressing all these challenges is neither a
requires ensuring the performance and accuracy of these systems. Here, quick nor inexpensive process. Developers of autonomous systems in the
the complexity of A&D technology again adds difficulty. Many organizations A&D industry are challenged with significant research and development
developing technology in this space struggle to ensure that advanced (R&D) costs when creating safe and accurate cutting-edge technologies. For
hardware like sensors and communication modules perform effectively in real- instance, using disparate tools for hardware and software design leads to tool
world conditions. A common reliance on open-source solutions — which lack a integration and process compliance issues that require significant time and
rigid development process, comprehensive quality assurance, and regression effort to address. Additionally, to overcome the lack of integration with respect
testing — can also make finalizing a reliable design difficult. This challenge to hardware validation, developers will do their best, make assumptions, build
will only be elevated in the future as the level of autonomy increases and takes extra prototypes to validate the design, and learn from the failure analysis of
over more vital tasks without the help of human interaction, requiring robust the prototype cycle — which is a lengthy and costly process. Infrastructure
and scalable design architectures. support, garnering public acceptance, and ethical and legal considerations can
also lengthen the time-to-market process.

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ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF INNOVATIVE PREDICTIVE TECHNOLOGY
THROUGHOUT THE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

/ To innovate in the autonomous technology space, engineers must address the challenges
of this technology while also ensuring that they are taking a rigorous and comprehensive
approach to the entire product design and development process. Importantly, this process
is not a straight line; it is circular, with autonomous systems being continuously developed
and modified. Only by optimizing each part of this process can we unlock truly innovative
designs.

The classic V-cycle product development process for autonomous technology begins with
mission engineering. Here, teams must identify their mission requirements and ensure that their
designs are robust, maintain compliance, and account for all variables. Key focus areas at this
stage include creating a concept of operations (ConOps) and operational design domain (ODD).

Next up is product engineering, in which the different hardware and software components of the
autonomous system are designed, developed, and optimized to best achieve the predetermined
objectives and requirements. Depending on the specific autonomous technology, this stage can
involve a wide range of engineering work. A few examples include designing camera systems,
creating sensor systems, and meeting connectivity and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) needs.

The following stage is system integration, in which engineers need to ensure that all components
and subsystems — including both hardware and software — work together seamlessly to
meet overall system requirements, and especially safety requirements. This process includes
everything from optimizing sensor placement to meeting industry standards for cybersecurity.

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 MISSION PRODUCT ENGINEERING SYSTEMS INTEGRATION OPERATIONS

MISSION
ENGINEERING OPERATIONS
REGULATORY AND
SAFETY COMPLIANCE
MISSION | DIAGNOSTICS | POST-
REQUIREMENT | FLIGHT ANALYSIS |
DEFINITION SAFETY | SECURITY | AUTONOMY LEVEL
REDUNDANCY SYSTEM
EFFECTIVENESS

SO
FT VALIDATION AND
H W
A A TESTING
RD RE EMBEDDED SOFTWARE
W DEVELOPMENT
A
RE MIL | SIL | HIL
DATA FUSION | C2I SYSTEM
| DECISION MAKING
| CONTROL SYSTEM
HMI
INTEGRATION

N
OPERATOR

IO
HW & SW
SUB-SYSTEM
AWARENESS &

AT

EL
INTEGRATION
INTERFACE

D
BR
SENSING & CONNECTIVITY AND

O
LI

M
PERCEPTION V2X

CA

T
AN
CAMERA | LIDAR | V2X | NETWORK | COMPONENT

PL
RADAR | THERMAL CLOUD & EDGE
CAMERA

/ Product development process for autonomous systems

The next stage in the V-cycle is manufacturing, in which these complicated Here, engineers also use data collected from sensors to inform their
autonomous systems are actualized. Afterward, engineers reach the operations sustainment practices and minimize downtime.
stage, in which teams need to accurately analyze how effectively these systems
operate, including diagnostics and the autonomy level of the developed From mission engineering to sustainment, engineers and researchers can
system. As part of this stage, engineers use sensors to collect data on system use Ansys simulation software to predict and improve the performance of
operations, which can also be utilized in the final stage: sustainment. autonomous, software-defined vehicles in a virtual environment. Ansys’ unique
model-based approach enables continuous verification and validation in all
The critical last stage of this development cycle is the ongoing analysis, upgrades, phases of development, helping users rapidly deliver the next generation of
and modernization processes to sustain the developed autonomous system. intelligent and connected systems.

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RECAP AND
TAKEAWAYS

/ Across the entire A&D industry, autonomous technology is To match this growth, industry leaders need to ensure that they are
driving innovation at an increasingly rapid pace. efficiently developing new technology that is not only reliable, but also
compliant with changing standards. With Ansys software, organizations
For instance, the UAV market is projected to grow from an
will gain a few strategic advantages, such as:
estimated:
• Positioning themselves at the forefront of innovation

30.2 48.5
• Providing a competitive edge through high-fidelity and fast-paced
$
$
development tools

BILLION TO Looking around us at the world today, we can already see the early stages

IN 2024 BILLION of autonomous technology in the A&D field, with emerging technology
like improved AI algorithms, enhanced machine vision, and robust
cybersecurity measures only adding to the promise of this space.

BY 2029 To continue this growth, innovators and engineers will need to overcome
the key challenges attached to this emerging technology. While this
won’t be easy, we are confident that innovators are up to the challenge.
This growth is expected across the A&D market, with space Through collaborations, partnerships, and solutions that are developed
autonomous navigation systems, the urban air mobility using simulation software, such as the solutions offered by Ansys,
(UAM) market, and more expected to grow at high rates autonomous technology will only continue to push boundaries across the
over the next decade. A&D field in the future.

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 Powering Innovation That
Drives Human Advancement

ANSYS, Inc.
www.ansys.com
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866.267.9724

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