The autonomous future imagined by The Jetsons, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and even Back to the Future Part II may not yet be a reality, but a perfect storm of technological innovation is moving us closer. Drones, autonomous robots, and self-driving cars all rely on a complex web of technology to perform as programmed. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and 5G availability are enabling autonomous devices to be more, well...autonomous.

Device autonomy is a spectrum. Basic autonomy could look like the end result of setting a flight path for a drone and then initiating an unmanned flight. More complex autonomy could resemble giving a drone parameters such as, "here's the data we want to capture" and the device then designing the tactics, flight path, and timing needed to meet that goal. The wide rollout of 5G provides infrastructure that can handle the high data volumes and speed required by autonomous devices and missions, while AI advances are allowing machines to engage in more advanced and proactive decision-making.

While the reality of autonomy will look different than what Hollywood visionaries depicted, its impact will be just as exciting as any blockbuster. Autonomous systems will be a critical part of realizing a number of key government goals. Continue reading →