Resilient Control Loops in Autonomous Vehicles Under Adversarial Jamming via Spectral Perception and Network-Layer Failover
Organizations: iSTAR Laboratory · Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA · Global Cyber Research Institute (GCRI)
Abstract
The operational integrity of autonomous mobile robots relies on the continuous availability of wireless control loops, making them highly attractive targets for adversarial intentional electromagnetic interference. This paper introduces a resilient, cross-layer framework that combines physical-layer spectral perception with network-layer routing optimization to protect middleware stability, such as ROS2, during intentional electromagnetic interference. Utilizing a software-defined radio front-end, the system extracts dynamic spectral descriptors, including spectral entropy and channel occupancy, to inform a Random Forest classifier that establishes adaptive environmental baselines. To ensure uninterrupted data flow, the architecture maintains dual pre-authenticated physical interfaces in a hot-standby configuration, enabling instantaneous failover through automated network routing table updates. Empirical validation on a physical ROS2 mobile robot testbed demonstrates that this adaptive hardware-assisted architecture optimizes communication recovery to an average of 141ms. This sub-second restoration translates directly into a 78.9% reduction in pooled root-mean-square path tracking error compared to software re-association, successfully securing system-level mission integrity.
Figures & tables
| Parameter | Value |
| Center Frequency | 2.447 GHz / 5.200 GHz |
| Interference Waveform | Narrowband CW Tone |
| USRP Transmit Gain | 85 dB |
| Emission Duration | 5.0 s |
| SDR Sampling Rate ( ) | 2.5 MS/s |
| Sustained Filter Window ( ) | 75 samples |
| Switching Architecture | Average Recovery Time (s) |
| Static-Threshold Software Switching | 6.001 |
| Adaptive-Threshold Software Switching | 2.549 |
| Adaptive Hardware-Assisted Switching | 0.141 |
| Switching Method | Pooled RMS (cm) | Best Lap (cm) | Worst Lap (cm) |
| Adaptive Software | 2.84 | 0.70 (Lap 12) | 4.37 (Lap 8) |
| Adaptive Hardware-Assisted | 0.60 | 0.32 (Lap 2) | 0.88 (Lap 3) |
Wireless Communications
Wireless communications studies how information is sent over radio links and how networks manage signals, spectrum, and resources reliably.
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