[SystemSafety] Autonomously Driven Car Kills Pedestrian

[paul_e.bennett at topmail.co.uk]

On 29/03/2018 at 5:49 PM, "Steve Tockey" <Steve.Tockey at construx.com> wrote:
>
>John,
>I wish there was an easy answer to the questions in your last 
>paragraph. In the end I think it will take many things together, 
>like:

[%X]

>Anyone should be able write and deliver software in the “no 
>consequence” category. I could suggest that it be the same with 
>the “Minor consequence” category, but since there is explicit 
>liability for defects being imposed then developers or their 
>employers would have an incentive to establish their own minimal 
>requirements possibly based on some kind of certification. The 
>“finance” category might need the developers to possess something 
>along the lines of a legitimate software engineering degree or an 
>equivalent. Work on mission / safety critical software should be 
>like it already is for licensed Professional Engineers / Chartered 
>engineers: not that everyone would need licensing / chartering, 
>but at least one person would and they would take on personal 
>liability for the software.

Given the malleability of software, and how some establishments
might use boiler-plate or cut and paste techniques to assemble
something that seems to work, who is to say that the software
developed will always be of 'no consequence'.

I always like to ensure I have the equivalent of a data-sheet for each
software component, much as you get for the electronic components,
against which you can test functionality and  performance in the intended
usage environment. Not, most electronic component data-sheets also
specify limitations of functionality and environmental limitations. Why
should software be any different.

Regards

Paul E. Bennett IEng MIET
Systems Engineer
Lunar Mission One Ambassador
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Paul E. Bennett IEng MIET.....
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