Survey of Human Models for Verification of Human-Machine Systems

We survey the landscape of human operator modeling ranging from the early cognitive models developed in artificial intelligence to more recent formal task models developed for model-checking of human machine interactions. We review human performance modeling and human factors studies in the context of aviation, and models of how the pilot interacts with automation in the cockpit. The purpose of the survey is to assess the applicability of available state-of-the-art models of the human operators for the design, verification and validation of future safety-critical aviation systems that exhibit higher-level of autonomy, but still require human operators in the loop. These systems include the single-pilot aircraft and NextGen air traffic management. We discuss the gaps in existing models and propose future research to address them

Systematic automation of scenario-based testing of user interfaces

Ensuring the effectiveness factor of usability consists in ensuring that the application allows users to reach their goals and perform their tasks. One of the few means for reaching this goal relies on task analysis and proving the compatibility between the interactive application and its task models. Synergistic execution enables the validation of a system against its task model by co-executing the system and the task model and comparing the behavior of the system against what is prescribed in the model. This allows a tester to explore scenarios in order to detect deviations between the two behaviors. Manual exploration of scenarios does not guarantee a good coverage of the analysis. To address this, we resort to model-based testing (MBT) techniques to automatically generate scenarios for automated synergistic execution. To achieve this, we generate, from the task model, scenarios to be co-executed over the task model and the system. During this generation step we explore the possibility of including considerations about user error in the analysis. The automation of the execution of the scenarios closes the process. We illustrate the approach with an example.José Campos acknowledges support from project "NORTE01-0145-FEDER-000016", financed by the North Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE 2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement, and through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF

Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications

Proceedings of a conference held in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 15-16, 1988. The Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications brings together diverse technical and scientific work in order to help those who employ AI methods in space applications to identify common goals and to address issues of general interest in the AI community. Topics include the following: space applications of expert systems in fault diagnostics, in telemetry monitoring and data collection, in design and systems integration; and in planning and scheduling; knowledge representation, capture, verification, and management; robotics and vision; adaptive learning; and automatic programming

Autonomous, Context-Sensitive, Task Management Systems and Decision Support Tools I: Human-Autonomy Teaming Fundamentals and State of the Art

Recent advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining and extraction, and especially in sensor technology have resulted in the availability of a vast amount of digital data and information and the development of advanced automated reasoners. This creates the opportunity for the development of a robust dynamic task manager and decision support tool that is context sensitive and integrates information from a wide array of on-board and off aircraft sourcesa tool that monitors systems and the overall flight situation, anticipates information needs, prioritizes tasks appropriately, keeps pilots well informed, and is nimble and able to adapt to changing circumstances. This is the first of two companion reports exploring issues associated with autonomous, context-sensitive, task management and decision support tools. In the first report, we explore fundamental issues associated with the development of an integrated, dynamic, flight information and automation management system. We discuss human factors issues pertaining to information automation and review the current state of the art of pilot information management and decision support tools. We also explore how effective human-human team behavior and expectations could be extended to teams involving humans and automation or autonomous systems

Human-Centered Aviation Automation: Principles and Guidelines

This document presents principles and guidelines for human-centered automation in aircraft and in the aviation system. Drawing upon operational experience with highly automated aircraft, it describes classes of problems that have occurred in these vehicles, the effects of advanced automation on the human operators of the aviation system, and ways in which these problems may be avoided in the design of future aircraft and air traffic management automation. Many incidents and a few serious accidents suggest that these problems are related to automation complexity, autonomy, coupling, and opacity, or inadequate feedback to operators. An automation philosophy that emphasizes improved communication, coordination and cooperation between the human and machine elements of this complex, distributed system is required to improve the safety and efficiency of aviation operations in the future

Addressing the Challenges in NextGen Decision Making

DTFAWA-10-X-80005, Annex 9NASA provided a broad overview of flight crew decision making and training challenges expected to result from the implementation of NextGen automation, including decision support automation. Recommendations included the following human factors recommendations and caveats for the design of future flight deck systems: - Pilots Need Accurate Mental Models of Automated Systems - Systems Awareness Is Key to Situation Awareness - Changes Must Be Highlighted - CRM \u2018Monitor and Challenge\u2019 Philosophy for Flight Crew Must Also Apply to Flight Deck Automatio

The design and implementation of vision-based behavioural modules for a robotic assembly system

The work drsrrihrd in this thesis ia about, how to program robots to work re liably in the presence of uncertainty. Some architectural principle!: are proposed which address the problem of decomposing robotic assembly tasks into modular units such that a robot program can be implemented efficiently, tested easily, and can be maintained or modified without undue complexity. This architecture also provides a framework to integrate sensors into a robotic, assembly system.These modular units arc called behavioural modules. They perforin their tasks reliably. The problem of uncertainty is dealt with by encapsulating sensing and variation reducing strategies inside these modules. Experiments are performed with a working robotic assembly system using vision based behavioural modules. Analy sis of this system validates the principles presented in this thesis

Comparisons & analyses of U.S. & global economic data & trends

Issued as final reportSRI Internationa

The Maritime Domain Awareness Center– A Human-Centered Design Approach

This paper contends that Maritime Domain Awareness Center (MDAC) design should be a holistic approach integrating established knowledge about human factors, decision making, cognitive tasks, complexity science, and human information interaction. The design effort should not be primarily a technology effort that focuses on computer screens, information feeds, display technologies, or user interfaces. The existence of a room with access to vast amounts of information and wall-to-wall video screens of ships, aircraft, weather data, and other regional information does not necessarily correlate to possessing situation awareness. Fundamental principles of human-centered information design should guide MDAC design and technology selection, and it is imperative that they be addressed early in system development. The design approach should address the reason and purpose for a given MDAC. Subsequent design efforts should address ergonomic interaction with information – the relationship of the brain to the information ecosystem provided by the MDAC, and the cognitive science of situation awareness and decision making. This understanding will guide technology functionality. The system user and decision maker should be the focus of the information design specifications, and this user population must participate and influence the information design. Accordingly, this paper provides a “design gestalt” by which to approach the design and development of an MDAC

Integration of computer-aided design techniques into the mechanical product development process

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) has been called the most significant advance since the development of electricity. CAD is regarded as being the greatest breakthrough of modern times in the search for ways to improve the Product Development Process. This improvement is provided in terms of bringing to market better quality and higher performance products in a significantly shorter design/development cycle and at a lower cost. A survey of the various computer-aided design techniques is presented as they are currently being applied in the mechanical product development process. The research of these techniques includes the basic system operation from a user\u27s perspective, as well as discussion of the relative productivity improvements possible as compared with prior techniques and alternative approaches. The survey results are then enhanced through a case study of the more widely used CAD techniques available to a product design engineer. A typical benchmark part design of a thermoplastic clutch pawl was created and analyzed on some of the latest commercially available computer-aided design systems. This case study, conducted at Xerox Corporation, consisted of both wire frame, surface and solids geometry model creation, mass properties analysis, and finite element model structural analysis