# Jam Mitigation for Autonomous Convoys via Behavior-Based Robotics
###### Abstract  
Autonomous ground vehicle convoys heavily rely on wireless communications to perform leader-follower operations, which make them particularly vulnerable to denial-of-service attacks such as jamming. To mitigate the effects of jamming on autonomous convoys, this paper proposes a behavior-based architecture, called the Behavior Manager, that utilizes layered costmaps and vector field histogram motion planning to implement motor schema behaviors. Using our proposed Behavior Manager, multiple behaviors can be created to form a convoy controller assemblage capable of continuing convoy operations while under a jamming attack. To measure the performance of our proposed solution to jammed autonomous convoying, simulated convoy runs are performed on multiple path plans under different types of jamming attacks, using both the assemblage and a basic delayed follower convoy controller. Extensive simulation results demonstrated that our proposed solution, the Behavior Manager, can be leveraged to dramatically improve the robustness of autonomous convoys when faced with jamming attacks and can be further extended due to its modular nature to combat other types of attacks through the development of additional behaviors and assemblages. When comparing the performance of the Behavior Manager convoy to that of the basic convoy controller, improvements were seen across all jammer types and path plans, ranging from 13.33% to 86.61% reductions in path error. autonomous convoy; behavior-based robotics; jamming Article  
J.M.M. autonomous. In all cases, there are numerous benefits in applying autonomy to ground vehicle convoys. From both the commercial and military perspective, the utilization of autonomous vehicle convoys can reduce fuel consumption, reduce traffic congestion, and improve safety [2]. In all the autonomous vehicle convoy employment concepts, the utilization of wireless communications has been paramount in their development. Two important applications of wireless communications include inter-vehicle communications (IVC) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). IVC is used to exchange vital information between vehicles in the convoy, including pose, heading, speed, acceleration, and maneuver intentions [5]. This information is used by follower vehicles in maintaining the desired convoy formation along the desired path. In addition, GPS is often used as a vital tool in providing position, navigation, and timing information for each vehicle [4]. In many cases, proper wireless communications are a necessity in the operation of an autonomous convoy, where disruption of the wireless communications system can cause the autonomous convoy to fail. The criticality of proper wireless communications extends beyond autonomous convoys and applies to various other autonomous applications such as surveillance [6], mining, and agriculture [4]. This outsized importance of wireless communications makes it a critical piece of the system to protect from potential cyber-physical attacks, such as jamming. Jamming is a type of denial-of-service attack that attempts to disrupt or block wireless communications. Jammers interfere with a radio's ability to transmit or receive data, and are the most widely used denial-of-service attack for vehicular networks due to their effectiveness and simplicity [7; 8; 9]. The risk of jamming is especially prevalent in military applications, due to electronic warfare systems and strategies employed by adversaries to gain tactical advantages [9]. Given the importance of IVC in autonomous convoys, disruptions caused by jamming could cause instability in the following functionality of the autonomous convoys, or even potentially cause a complete breakdown of the convoy [4]. Since jamming is one of the most simple and effective denial-of-service attacks [10], it is important to understand the attack and the proper ways to defend against it.