5. Control regimes, autonomy, and responsibility
Control state is a matrix over functions and time—not a marketing adjective attached to the whole vehicle.
Concept & directionLNK
Control state is a matrix over functions and time—not a marketing adjective attached to the whole vehicle.
Road automation, maritime autonomy, drones, industrial robots and RC vehicles use different terms because they allocate tasks and responsibility differently. RTracer should preserve external vocabularies but normalize them into a function-scoped ControlAssignment. One operation can combine an onboard driver, automated stability control, remote payload operator, fleet scheduler and emergency supervisor.
Canonical control assignment
ControlAssignment(function, mode, controlling_actor, actor_location, authority_scope, command_form, command_link, dependency, operating_envelope, start/end, handover_trigger, fallback_actor, safe_state, evidence).#5.1 Controlled functions
| Function | Representative control scope |
|---|---|
| Propulsion / power | Start, enable, select source, command torque/thrust, limit output, shut down |
| Steering / attitude | Heading, trajectory, wheel angle, rudder, surfaces, trim, pose and articulation |
| Braking / stopping | Slow, stop, hold, park, anchor, moor, hover, station keep |
| Stabilization | Traction, yaw, roll, pitch, depth, altitude, suspension and load stability |
| Navigation | Localize, map, route, plan, follow waypoints, comply with traffic or right-of-way |
| Hazard response | Detect, classify, predict, avoid, yield, abort, escape and enter safe state |
| Formation / coupling | Tow, dock, couple, uncouple, consist control, leader/follower and swarm spacing |
| Payload / mission | Carry, manipulate, inspect, spray, film, race, serve, release or recover payload |
| Energy management | Charge/refuel, source selection, thermal control, reserve protection, load shedding |
| Configuration | Deploy gear, fold wing, transform mode, change geometry, select calibration or software |
| Communications | Link selection, identity, network participation, distress and traffic coordination |
| Maintenance / recovery | Self-test, diagnostics, degraded mode, return-to-base, rescue, deorbit or disposal |
| Social / commercial | Post, reply, invite, book, quote, sell or spend under a separate digital mandate |
#5.2 Control mode vocabulary
| Mode | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Passive / no active control | Motion determined by environment, geometry or another system; may still have safety constraints |
| Direct mechanical | Human force or command linked mechanically to steering, braking, propulsion or tool |
| Powered direct | Human command amplified hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically without task automation |
| Onboard manual | Human aboard continuously performs the function |
| Rider balance / body control | Lean, weight shift, reins, harness or body movement is part of the command channel |
| Towed / pushed / carried | Prime mover or handler supplies trajectory and force through coupling or contact |
| Line-of-sight remote | Offboard human commands directly while visually observing the asset |
| FPV remote | Offboard human relies principally on onboard video or sensor view |
| Tethered remote | Command, power and/or data travel through a physical tether |
| Beyond-line-of-sight teleoperation | Remote command through a network with explicit latency, coverage and loss handling |
| Shared control | Human and automation concurrently shape the command |
| Driver/rider assistance | Automation supports a narrow function while human retains the broader task |
| Stabilized command | Human requests velocity/heading/attitude while lower loops maintain stability |
| Scripted sequence | Predefined commands execute without environmental task reasoning beyond guards |
| Waypoint / path following | Automation follows specified spatial or temporal targets |
| Task automation | System performs a bounded task while a human or parent system supervises |
| Conditional autonomy | System performs assigned functions only inside a defined operating envelope with fallback expectations |
| Supervised autonomy | System plans/acts; supervisor may approve, intervene or manage exceptions |
| Bounded autonomy | System performs specified functions and fallback within a validated envelope without continuous human control |
| Cooperative / negotiated | Humans and machines allocate tasks dynamically under explicit authority rules |
| Leader–follower | One vehicle, human or infrastructure source supplies goals or trajectory to followers |
| Swarm / distributed | Control emerges across multiple agents with local and/or central coordination |
| Infrastructure-controlled | Guideway, traffic system, launch controller or site system allocates movement |
| Fleet-scheduled | Fleet service assigns missions; local controller handles movement within scope |
| Environmental / reflexive | Mechanical or control response follows wind, current, gravity or local stimulus |
#5.3 Actor, location, command, and link facets
| Facet | Controlled vocabulary seed |
|---|---|
| Controlling actor | rider; driver; pilot; helmsman; crew; remote operator; payload operator; instructor; supervisor; dispatcher; infrastructure; onboard controller; fleet agent; peer vehicle |
| Actor location | on/in vehicle; riding externally; beside vehicle; visual range; local control room; remote center; moving chase/carrier platform; distributed |
| Command form | force/displacement; discrete switch; proportional command; velocity; heading/attitude; trajectory; waypoint; task; goal; policy; schedule; exception approval |
| Command path | mechanical; hydraulic; pneumatic; electrical analog; wired digital; radio; cellular/IP; satellite; optical; acoustic; tether; indirect infrastructure signal |
| Link properties | directionality; bandwidth; latency/jitter; range; availability; encryption; authentication; redundancy; interference tolerance; loss behavior |
| Authority | observe; advise; limit; veto; command; override; emergency stop; configure; release payload; move; couple; spend; publish |
| Dependency | none; optional aid; required for start; required continuous; periodic check-in; exception-only; fallback-only |
| Handover | request; readiness; acknowledgement; transfer time; minimum-risk condition; unsuccessful handover response |
#5.4 Operating envelope and fallback
- Record the validated domain, route or geofence; terrain/surface; speed; altitude/depth; weather; visibility; traffic; connectivity; payload; configuration; map quality; lighting; and time constraints.
- Record entry/exit conditions, monitoring method, degradation thresholds, prohibited states and whether the system can recognize that it is outside the envelope.
- Fallback is an executable responsibility: actor, trigger, response time, safe state, stop/hold/return/recovery behavior and evidence from tests.
- Control can change during an operation. Every transition records old assignment, new assignment, trigger, acknowledgement, configuration and outcome.
- Separate physical control from social and commercial agency. Permission to publish telemetry never grants permission to move, book, buy, sell or spend.
#5.5 External autonomy vocabularies
Preserve source labels as ExternalClassification records. SAE J3016 applies to sustained on-road driving automation; IMO’s maritime work classifies ship functions and modes; EASA categories classify operational risk; NIST ALFUS uses mission complexity, environmental difficulty and human independence. They are useful mappings, not one universal ladder.