Testing of Autonomous Systems - Challenges and Current State-of-the-Art

Autonomous systems are on the rise. However, the challenge to test autonomous systems to ensure their safe and fault-free behaviour is not solved yet. This is especially critical when we consider the fact that autonomous systems are often safety-critical systems envisaged to interact with humans without explicit human supervision. This paper points out why testing autonomous systems is such a challenge and provides an overview of the current state-of-the-art theory and practice. The gathered information is then condensed into guiding points for the way forward.