Autonomous System Safe-State
Designed to produce the attested safe-state decision the control system executes when drift is detected in autonomous operations, for systems where failure modes must be predictable and auditable.
A design blueprint, not a shipped product: nothing on this page is implemented in the published packages. Design record dated 2026-01-05. Its deterministic-decision and monitoring statements are design targets, not properties of any shipped component.
Target System
Autonomous vehicles (UAV, UGV, USV), robotic systems, AI-driven defense platforms, and any system operating with delegated authority where safe degradation is mandatory. Applicable to both fully autonomous and human-on-the-loop configurations.
Threat Model
- AI model drift during autonomous operations
- Unauthorized mission parameter changes
- Sensor spoofing or manipulation attacks
- Communication link compromise or jamming
- Adversarial inputs triggering unsafe behavior
Integration Points
- Mission Policy Binding
- Designed to bind the operational envelope cryptographically
- Continuous Attestation
- Designed for runtime measurement at configurable intervals
- Safe-State Profiles
- Designed to attest the decision the control system executes (RTB, hover, shutdown)
- Evidence Chain
- Designed as a tamper-evident audit trail for post-mission analysis
Safe-State Profiles
RETURN_TO_BASE
Trigger: Link loss > thresholdDesigned to attest the decision to navigate to predetermined safe coordinates
HOLD_POSITION
Trigger: Mission parameter driftDesigned to attest the decision to maintain current position and altitude
CONTROLLED_DESCENT
Trigger: Critical system anomalyDesigned to attest the decision to execute a safe landing sequence
EMERGENCY_SHUTDOWN
Trigger: Integrity failureDesigned to attest the decision to power down with state preservation
Decision Design Targets
Deterministic Decisions
Design target, not a property: the policy maps each safe-state decision before runtime
Continuous Monitoring
Design target, not a property: attestation intervals set in the sealed artifact
Outcomes
- Designed to give evidence for Rules of Engagement documentation
- Designed for post-incident reconstruction from the evidence chain
- Designed as an audit trail for autonomous decision accountability
- Designed to keep a documented, attributable attestation record for each safe-state decision
Sample bundle
The same representative sample bundle offered site-wide: four Ed25519-signed receipts, Merkle proofs, a signed checkpoint, and an offline verifier. There is no safe-state-specific variant.