Autonomous Systems Demonstration Canvas

Robotics, autonomous systems, and artificial intelligence (RAS-AI) are increasingly important to Australia, but it can be hard to clearly demonstrate their capabilities and potential to end users and clients to achieve buy-in and investment.

Trusted Autonomous Systems draws on decades of experience conducting experiments, trials and demonstrations of autonomous systems for Defence to a range of stakeholders to create this practical resource for industry to create memorable demonstration events and achieve outcomes.

TAS used the Autonomous Systems Canvas to plan the Trusted Autonomous Systems Maritime Showcase at ReefWorks, the largest commercial maritime autonomous systems demonstration in Australia.

The Autonomous Systems Demonstration Canvas (‘Canvas’) optimises human understanding and buy-in for RAS-AI technology users and investors during demonstrations and provides a process to help plan, run and evaluate demonstrations across teams.

The Canvas and resources provide a framework, information, and guidance for building trust between demonstrators, their audience, and AI machines, helping to tackle the opacity problem facing AI, such as:

  • the unpredictability of exactly how an autonomous system will decide to reach an objective
  • the challenge of explaining and justifying the underlying human-machine decision making as it occurs
  • common biases and flaws of logic in human perception and decision-making
  • the complexity of adapting legal, regulatory, and assurance requirements to RAS-AI technologies and exemplifying how they were met autonomously.

By providing resources that develop the skills and capabilities of demonstrators and the quality of their events, TAS can help facilitate transparent communication between industry and Defence, accelerating the iteration and acquisition paths of RAS-AI systems that is good for industry and good for Defence.

The research for the Autonomous Systems Demonstration Canvas received funding from the Australian Government through Trusted Autonomous Systems, a Defence Cooperative Research Centre funded through the Next Generation Technologies Fund.

Downloadable Files

TAS_Canvas Handbook.docx

Resource – S1 – Roles by Canvas Section Map.docx

Resource – S2 – Demonstration Scenario Storyboard.docx

Resource – S2 – Explainable AI Handout.docx

Resource – S3 – Integrated Run-Sheet Template.docx

Resource – S4 – Demonstration Delivery Tips.docx

Resource – S5 – Audience Persona Template.pdf

TAS_Handboook_Planning_Workshop_Slides_20231225.pptx

TAS_Canvas_WORKBOOK.xlsx