Deep Learning of Sensor Data in Cybersecurity of Robotic Systems: Overview and Case Study Results

Abstract

Recent technological advances have enabled the development of sophisticated robotic and sensor systems monitored and controlled by algorithms based on computational intelligence. The deeply intertwined and cooperating devices connected to the Internet and local networks, usually through wireless communication, are increasingly used in systems deployed among people in public spaces. The challenge is to ensure that physical and digital components work together securely, especially as the impact of cyberattacks is significantly increasing. The paper addresses cybersecurity issues of mobile service robots with distributed control architectures. The focus is on automatically detecting anomalous behaviors possibly caused by cyberattacks on onboard and external sensors measuring the robot and environmental parameters. We provide an overview of the methods and techniques for protecting robotic systems. Particular attention is paid to our technique for anomaly detection in a service robot’s operation based on sensor readings and deep recurrent neural networks, assuming that attacks result in the robot behaving inconsistently. The paper presents the architecture of two artificial neural networks, their parameters, and attributes based on which the potential attacks are identified. The solution was validated on the PAL Robotics TIAGo robot operating in the laboratory and replicating a home environment. The results confirm that the proposed system can effectively support the detection of computer threats affecting the sensors’ measurements and, consequently, the functioning of a service robotic system.