Framing the concept of autonomy in system design

Advancements in multiple domains have led to a focus on autonomy in engineered systems. This focus necessitates a clear definition of the term 'autonomy' and its implications for system design. To this end, we present a framework that defines autonomy mathematically as a function of independence and task complexity. A deeper understanding is established by generating design principles that can be used to influence autonomy. We illustrate these concepts on autonomy quantification for a coffee machine and on a qualitative retrospective assessment of the evolution of autonomy for the automobile.