The development of innovative autonomous vehicles (AV) with increased efficiency and low carbon emissions is of interest to many different organisations across the world, at both political, commercial and research levels. Economically benefits are estimated to be worth £1.5 trillion by 2025. Recognising the potential, transportation authorities are already investing heavily in studies to exploit these innovative technologies through the development of 'platooning' methods, whereby a series of vehicles run in close formation, exploiting potential energy savings created through a reduction in drag, further enabling greater mobility. In the immediate future, it is likely the freight haulage industry will be the first users to introduce autonomous technologies on a network-wide scale. The UK road network provides the ideal test bed for developing these innovative technologies, due to the complexities of adopting such systems within a highly congested network, with traffic moving at variable speeds. Ensuring AVs and platooning methods are appropriate for challenging transport systems, such as that in the UK, will enable these systems to be adopted on an international scale more easily. To date, most AV research has focused on ensuring the technical possibilities for vehicles travelling in close formation through the implementation of autonomous guidance systems. These factors are however only one area of consideration when introducing new operational methods that involve complex vehicle interactions into an already a complex transport mode. Fundamental research undertaken at the University of Birmingham (UoB) (EP/N004213/1) has shown that aerodynamic forces will, in many cases, be the governing design parameter. There is a need to understand and correctly account for the highly turbulent aerodynamic flow created around platoons and unsteady forces leading to vehicle instabilities and dangerous conditions for other road users. This proposal is concerned with the technical area of vehicle aerodynamics associated with close running vehicles and the aerodynamic interactions with other vehicles and road users. In particular the following aspects will be investigated: -Overall stability of close formation vehicles (Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs)), particularly the interaction of unsteady aerodynamic flows between platooning vehicles and other road users. -The aerodynamic implications in terms of stability and overall drag for vehicles moving out of alignment with other vehicles in a platoon and the interaction of overtaking vehicles. -The aerodynamic interaction of a passing platoon of HGVs with other road users leading to potential stability and safety issues. The fundamental research questions will be addressed by novel approaches: -A fundamental physical modelling programme at the UoB moving model TRAIN rig facility. Detailed measurement of vehicle surface pressure (such that aerodynamic forces can be calculated) will determine the nature of the flow field and the aerodynamic interaction of vehicles. Multi-hole pressure probe measurements will investigate the unsteady flow to determine potential stability and safety implications as a platoon passes. -Development of an analytical framework, providing a method to help industry assess the magnitude of aerodynamic loads on roadside workers and other road users. The current study is seen as a necessary precursor to the introduction of AV technologies. In depth understanding of these practical issues underpins the safe, timely and cost effective implementation of these new technologies. This project will, for the first time, address these issues, developing an understanding of aerodynamic effects, not only for platooning vehicles but also other road users interacting with the platoon on public transport systems. The national importance of AVs forms an integral part of the Government strategic vision for transport and is of considerable importance to a variety of stakeholders.

Imagine a future where autonomous systems are widely available to improve our lives. In this future, autonomous robots unobtrusively maintain the infrastructure of our cities, and support people in living fulfilled independent lives. In this future, autonomous software reliably diagnoses disease at early stages, and dependably manages our road traffic to maximise flow and minimise environmental impact. Before this vision becomes reality, several major limitations of current autonomous systems need to be addressed. Key among these limitations is their reduced resilience: today's autonomous systems cannot avoid, withstand, recover from, adapt, and evolve to handle the uncertainty, change, faults, failure, adversity, and other disruptions present in such applications. Recent and forthcoming technological advances will provide autonomous systems with many of the sensors, actuators and other functional building blocks required to achieve the desired resilience levels, but this is not enough. To be resilient and trustworthy in these important applications, future autonomous systems will also need to use these building blocks effectively, so that they achieve complex technical requirements without violating our social, legal, ethical, empathy and cultural (SLEEC) rules and norms. Additionally, they will need to provide us with compelling evidence that the decisions and actions supporting their resilience satisfy both technical and SLEEC-compliance goals. To address these challenging needs, our project will develop a comprehensive toolbox of mathematically based notations and models, SLEEC-compliant resilience-enhancing methods, and systematic approaches for developing, deploying, optimising, and assuring highly resilient autonomous systems and systems of systems. To this end, we will capture the multidisciplinary nature of the social and technical aspects of the environment in which autonomous systems operate - and of the systems themselves - via mathematical models. For that, we have a team of Computer Scientists, Engineers, Psychologists, Philosophers, Lawyers, and Mathematicians, with an extensive track record of delivering research in all areas of the project. Working with such a mathematical model, autonomous systems will determine which resilience- enhancing actions are feasible, meet technical requirements, and are compliant with the relevant SLEEC rules and norms. Like humans, our autonomous systems will be able to reduce uncertainty, and to predict, detect and respond to change, faults, failures and adversity, proactively and efficiently. Like humans, if needed, our autonomous systems will share knowledge and services with humans and other autonomous agents. Like humans, if needed, our autonomous systems will cooperate with one another and with humans, and will proactively seek assistance from experts. Our work will deliver a step change in developing resilient autonomous systems and systems of systems. Developers will have notations and guidance to specify the socio-technical norms and rules applicable to the operational context of their autonomous systems, and techniques to design resilient autonomous systems that are trustworthy and compliant with these norms and rules. Additionally, developers will have guidance to build autonomous systems that can tolerate disruption, making the system usable in a larger set of circumstances. Finally, they will have techniques to develop resilient autonomous systems that can share information and services with peer systems and humans, and methods for providing evidence of the resilience of their systems. In such a context, autonomous systems and systems of systems will be highly resilient and trustworthy.

Public opinion on complex scientific topics can have dramatic effects on industrial sectors (e.g. GM crops, fracking, global warming). In order to realise the industrial and societal benefits of Autonomous Systems, they must be trustworthy by design and default, judged both through objective processes of systematic assurance and certification, and via the more subjective lens of users, industry, and the public. To address this and deliver it across the Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) programme, the UK Research Hub for TAS (TAS-UK) assembles a team that is world renowned for research in understanding the socially embedded nature of technologies. TASK-UK will establish a collaborative platform for the UK to deliver world-leading best practices for the design, regulation and operation of 'socially beneficial' autonomous systems which are both trustworthy in principle, and trusted in practice by individuals, society and government. TAS-UK will work to bring together those within a broader landscape of TAS research, including the TAS nodes, to deliver the fundamental scientific principles that underpin TAS; it will provide a focal point for market and society-led research into TAS; and provide a visible and open door to engage a broad range of end-users, international collaborators and investors. TAS-UK will do this by delivering three key programmes to deliver the overall TAS programme, including the Research Programme, the Advocacy & Engagement Programme, and the Skills Programme. The core of the Research Programme is to amplify and shape TAS research and innovation in the UK, building on existing programmes and linking with the seven TAS nodes to deliver a coherent programme to ensure coverage of the fundamental research issues. The Advocacy & Engagement Programme will create a set of mechanisms for engagement and co-creation with the public, public sector actors, government, the third sector, and industry to help define best practices, assurance processes, and formulate policy. It will engage in cross-sector industry and partner connection and brokering across nodes. The Skills Programme will create a structured pipeline for future leaders in TAS research and innovation with new training programmes and openly available resources for broader upskilling and reskilling in TAS industry.