A Policy Framework for Secure Robotics Supply Chains
This repository contains educational materials developed for medical school application portfolio purposes and is not intended for policy implementation or governmental guidance.
This is not:
- Official Department of Defense policy or guidance
- Professional defense policy analysis or consulting work
- Affiliated with any government agency, defense contractor, or policy organization
- Endorsed by any academic or governmental institution
This is:
- Independent pre-medical policy concept framework
- Educational exploration of supply chain security and robotics
- Medical school application portfolio material
- Demonstration of analytical thinking applied to technology policy
Institutional Affiliation:
This is an independent educational project. It is not an official University of Washington or UW Medicine document and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by UW Medicine, its faculty, or staff.
Policy Implementation:
This framework represents educational analysis and conceptual thinking, not professional defense policy development. Actual policy implementation would require:
- Professional defense policy analysis
- Department of Defense review and approval
- Congressional authorization and appropriation
- Industry stakeholder consultation
- Security clearance and classified review (for operational details)
Economic Projections:
Job creation estimates, economic impact figures, and cost projections are conceptual and based on publicly available analogous programs (CHIPS Act, etc.). Actual outcomes would require professional economic modeling and validation.
Scope:
This work analyzes supply chain security challenges for emerging robotics technology. Author background is in computer science, cybersecurity, and healthcare—not defense acquisition or robotics engineering.
Liability:
This work is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. Users assume full responsibility for any use of these materials.
Author Status:
Pre-medical student with background in computer science and cybersecurity. Not a defense policy professional, government official, or robotics engineer.
The Humanoid Industrial Security & Standards Initiative (HISSI) is an educational policy concept exploring supply chain security challenges for humanoid robotics in defense and critical infrastructure applications.
Challenge Context:
As humanoid robotic systems transition from experimental platforms to potential mission-support roles (logistics, maintenance, hazardous environment operations), supply chain vulnerabilities become critical national security considerations:
- Global supply concentration: Robotics manufacturing concentrated in adversarial nations (China controls >50% of global production and critical materials)
- Supply chain risks: Potential for sabotage, backdoors, or supply denial
- Technology dependence: Reliance on foreign-controlled critical technology creates strategic vulnerabilities
Educational Framework:
HISSI proposes a conceptual four-pillar approach to trusted robotics supply chains:
- Trusted Manufacturing: Domestic or allied-nation production with security oversight
- Open Architecture Standards: Modular Open Systems Approach for Humanoids (MOSA-H) enabling inspectable, secure designs
- Testing & Certification: Humanoid Test & Evaluation Center (HTEC) for rigorous validation
- Economic Incentives: CHIPS Act-style funding to build domestic capacity
Policy Alignment:
Framework conceptually aligns with existing defense policies:
- DoDI 5200.44 (Protection of Mission Critical Functions)
- NIST SP 800-161 (Cybersecurity Supply Chain Risk Management)
- CHIPS and Science Act (domestic manufacturing incentives)
"Do No Harm" Principle:
Emphasizes preventing vulnerabilities that could endanger personnel while fostering ethical innovation.
Concept:
Establish trusted robotics manufacturing base in United States or allied nations with security oversight similar to defense contractors.
Key Elements:
- Facility Security Clearance (FSC) requirements for manufacturers
- Personnel security clearances for key positions
- Physical and cyber security standards
- Supply chain transparency requirements
Example Implementation (Conceptual):
- Designated "Trusted Robotics Manufacturers" program
- Tiered security levels based on system criticality
- Regular audits and compliance verification
Economic Dimension:
- Estimated 40,000 high-skill jobs (based on comparable manufacturing sectors)
- $50 billion domestic robotics sector potential by 2030 (projection based on industry growth trends)
Note: Economic estimates are conceptual and require professional validation.
Concept:
Open architecture standards enabling component interoperability, security inspection, and vendor diversity.
Rationale:
- Proprietary "black box" systems difficult to secure and verify
- Open standards prevent vendor lock-in
- Modular design enables component replacement and upgrade
- Inspectable code/hardware for security validation
MOSA-H Principles (Conceptual):
- Standardized interfaces between subsystems
- Open-source control software (where security-appropriate)
- Hardware abstraction layers
- Security-by-design architecture
Precedent:
Similar to DoD's Open Mission Systems (OMS) for aircraft and MOSA principles in defense acquisition.
Concept:
Independent testing facility for security validation, performance certification, and operational evaluation of humanoid systems.
Testing Domains (Conceptual):
- Cybersecurity: Penetration testing, backdoor detection, secure boot verification
- Physical Security: Tamper resistance, secure communications
- Operational Performance: Reliability, safety, human interaction
- Supply Chain Validation: Component provenance, material authenticity
Certification Tiers:
- Tier 1: Commercial/industrial applications
- Tier 2: Critical infrastructure
- Tier 3: Defense/national security applications
Governance:
Public-private partnership model with DoD oversight (conceptual).
Concept:
Federal funding to catalyze domestic robotics manufacturing similar to CHIPS and Science Act for semiconductors.
Proposed Structure (Conceptual):
- Pilot Program: $500 million for proof-of-concept facilities
- Full Program: $5-10 billion over 10 years (estimate based on CHIPS Act scaling)
- Tax Incentives: R&D tax credits, accelerated depreciation
- Workforce Development: Training programs for robotics manufacturing skills
Job Creation Estimate:
40,000 high-skill jobs (engineers, technicians, operators) based on comparable manufacturing sector analysis.
Note: All economic figures are conceptual projections requiring professional economic modeling.
Logistics Support:
- Autonomous resupply in contested environments
- Ammunition handling and transport
- Hazardous material management
Maintenance Operations:
- Aircraft/vehicle maintenance in forward deployed locations
- Infrastructure repair in high-risk areas
- Equipment decontamination
Personnel Support:
- Casualty evacuation assistance
- Sentry/patrol augmentation (non-combat roles)
- Search and rescue in hazardous environments
Security Consideration:
All defense applications require trusted supply chains to prevent:
- Sabotage (malicious code causing system failure)
- Espionage (data exfiltration, surveillance)
- Denial (kill switches, supply cutoff)
Healthcare:
- Surgical assistance robots
- Hospital logistics (medication/supply transport)
- Elderly care and patient mobility assistance
Energy:
- Nuclear plant inspection/maintenance
- Offshore platform operations
- Hazardous environment monitoring
Manufacturing:
- Cleanroom operations (semiconductor fabrication)
- Precision assembly
- Quality inspection
Note: Author's background in healthcare and interest in perioperative medicine informs healthcare use case analysis.
HISSI-Policy-Concept/
├── README.md # This file
├── HISSI_Executive_Summary.pdf # Policy framework overview
├── HISSI_Pilot_Funding_Memo.pdf # Conceptual pilot program proposal
├── CITATION.cff # Citation metadata
└── LICENSE # CC BY 4.0 license
Policy Analysis:
- Educational framework, not professional defense policy analysis
- Economic projections conceptual; require validation
- Implementation details would require classified review for operational security
- Author not defense acquisition or robotics engineering expert
Technical Depth:
- MOSA-H standards require engineering expertise to develop
- Security testing protocols require cybersecurity and robotics domain knowledge
- Author's computer science background informs general framework, not specific technical standards
Economic Modeling:
- Job creation and sector growth estimates based on analogous programs
- Actual outcomes highly uncertain and dependent on numerous variables
- Professional economic analysis required for policy implementation
Scope:
- Focuses on supply chain security, not comprehensive robotics policy
- Does not address autonomous weapons systems (intentionally excluded)
- Limited discussion of international cooperation mechanisms
Vancouver Style:
George CB. Humanoid Industrial Security & Standards Initiative (HISSI):
A Policy Framework for Secure Robotics Supply Chains. Published October 2025.
Available from: https://github.com/collingeorge/HISSI-Policy-Concept
[Accessed: date]
APA Style:
George, C. B. (2025). Humanoid Industrial Security & Standards Initiative (HISSI):
A policy framework for secure robotics supply chains.
https://github.com/collingeorge/HISSI-Policy-Concept
Author: Collin B. George, BS
Project Type: Independent pre-medical policy concept framework
Educational Context: Supply chain security analysis applied to emerging robotics technology
Status: Preparing for medical school matriculation 2026
Background: Computer science, cybersecurity, clinical laboratory technology
GitHub: github.com/collingeorge
ORCID: 0009-0007-8162-6839
X (Twitter): @CollinGeor12178
License: CC BY 4.0
This educational framework draws on publicly available defense policy documents, supply chain security literature, and robotics industry analysis.
The author is grateful to University of Washington faculty for educational guidance in systems security, technology policy, and supply chain risk management that informed this conceptual framework.
This work represents independent educational exploration and does not constitute collaboration with any governmental agency, defense contractor, policy organization, or robotics company.
This is an educational policy concept. Feedback welcome for:
Via GitHub:
- Conceptual critiques and alternative approaches
- Technical corrections to supply chain security concepts
- Additional use case considerations
- Clarity and presentation improvements
Via Contact:
- Website: collingeorge9.wordpress.com/contact
- X (Twitter): @CollinGeor12178
Not Seeking:
- Government contracts or consulting engagements
- Commercial partnerships
- Defense contractor relationships
Question for Discussion:
How can emerging robotics technology be integrated into defense and critical infrastructure applications with appropriate supply chain security safeguards while fostering innovation and economic growth?
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
You are free to:
- Share and redistribute the material
- Adapt and build upon the material for any purpose
Under the following terms:
- Attribution: Give appropriate credit to Collin B. George, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made
Full license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
© 2025 Collin B. George — Licensed under CC BY 4.0
Supply Chain Security, Robotics, Humanoid Systems, Defense Policy, National Security, Critical Infrastructure, Manufacturing Security, Technology Policy, CHIPS Act, Defense Acquisition, Cybersecurity, Pre-Medical Research
Last Updated: October 2025
Version: 1.0