Panel discussion: Autonomy in engineering systems: What is it and why is it important? Setting the stage: Some autonomous thoughts on autonomy

Engineering systems typically exhibit some degree of autonomy. But what exactly do we mean by autonomy? What is the significance and role of autonomy in man-made systems? Is autonomy important? How do we quantify autonomy and say that this system has greater autonomy that the other one? Why is it important to understand and strive for autonomy? These are some of the issues that will be addressed by the panelists.