Design of Natural Warning Sounds in Human-Machine Systems

The goal of this research is increased safety in aviation. Aviation is a highly automated and complex, as well as, safety critical human-machine system. The pilot communicates with the system via a human-machine interface in cockpit. In an alerting situation this interface is in part an auditory alerting system. Human errors are often consequences of actions brought about by poor design. Pilots complain that they may be both disturbed and annoyed of alerts, which may affect performance, especially in non-normal situations when the mental workload is high. This research is based on theories in ergonomics and cognitive engineering with the assumption that improved human performance within a system increase safety. Cognitive engineering is a design philosophy for reducing the effort required by cognitive functions by changing the technical interface, which may lead to improved performance. Knowledge of human abilities and limitations and multidisciplinary interrelated theories between humans, sounds and warnings are used. Several methods are involved in this research, such as literature studies, field studies, controlled experiments and simulations with pilots. This research defines design requirements for sounds appropriate in auditory alerts as Natural Warning Sounds. For example, they have a natural meaning within the user’s context, are compatible with the auditory information process, are pleasant to listen to (not annoying), are easy to learn and are clearly audible. A design process for auditory alerting systems is suggested. It includes methods of associability and sound imagery, which develop Natural Warning Sounds, and combines these with an appropriate presentation format. Associability is introduced and represents the required effort to associate sounds to their assigned alert function meaning. An associable sound requires less effort and fewer cognitive resources. Soundimagary is used to develop sound images. A sound image is a sound, which by its acoustics characteristics has a particular meaning to someone without prior training in a certain context. Simulations of presentation formats resulted in recommendations for cancellation capabilities and avoiding continuously repeated alerts. This research brings related theories closer to practice and demonstrates general methods that will allow designers, together with the users of the system, to apply them in their own system.QC 2010091

Design of Natural Warning Sounds

The goal of this research is increased safety and human performance in aviation. Human errors are often consequences of actions brought about by poor design. The pilot communicates with the aircraft system through an interface in cockpit. In an alerting situation this interface includes an auditory alerting system. Pilots complain that they may be both disturbed and annoyed of alerts, which may affect performance, especially in non-normal situations when the mental workload is high. This research is based on theories in human factors /ergonomics and cognitive engineering with the assumption that improved human performance within a system increase safety. Cognitive engineering is a design philosophy for reducing the effort required by cognitive functions by changing the technical interface, which may lead to improved performance. Knowledge of human abilities and limitations and multidisciplinary interrelated theories between humans, sounds and warnings are integrated into this research. Several methods are included, such as literature studies, field studies, controlled experiments and simulations with pilots. This research provides design requirements for sounds appropriate as auditory alerts, defined as Natural Warning Sounds. These sounds either have a natural meaning within the user's context, or are compatible with the human's natural auditory information process, or both, they are also pleasant to listen to (not annoying), easy to learn and clearly audible. In an experimental study associability of different sounds were compared. Associability is the required effort to associate sounds to their assigned alert function meaning. The more associable a sound is it requires less effort and fewer cognitive resources. The study shows that auditory icons and animal sounds were more associable than conventional alerts! In another listening study the method of Soundimagery was used to develop soundimages. A soundimage is a sound, which by its acoustics characteristics has a particular meaning to someone without prior training in a certain context. Soundimages were successfully developed, however it may be difficult to come up with sound candidates for functions that lack sound or are not associated to a particular sound. In a simulation study different presentation formats were compared. The results show that auditory systems should have cancellation capabilities and avoid continuously repeated alerts. This research brings related theories closer to practice and demonstrates methods that will allow designers, together with the users of the system, to apply them in their own system design

Work functions shaping the ability to innovate: insights from the case of the safety engineer

To perform as intended, firms are divided into work functions that contribute to the behaviour-shaping constraints under which individuals build their skills, knowledge and networks. These in turn provide a specialized perspective on organisational structure and culture. In a mixed methods study involving interviews and statistical analyses, we investigate whether a work function can thereby affect individuals’ innovation foci and efficacy. Safety engineers, central to firms developing Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), are shown to play a significant role in identifying and supporting viable innovation related to organisational aspects. Results indicate that safety engineers could use the firm’s collaborative innovation process to facilitate organisational learning, helping different work functions come together to construct working practices aligned with the organisational values of the firm. This is explained by their understanding of safety culture—a specialized understanding of organisational culture and complexity provided by their work function. We conclude that work functions that provide their members with a perspective well aligned with their firm’s organisational values can instil the ability to identify and support organisational innovation. This suggests that safety engineers in CPS domains could be effective in a mediatory role, facilitating innovative changes to organisational structures and processes when introducing and operating safety management systems. Stronger aspects of organisational liaising and systems thinking could reinforce this ability—the former by a wider scope and motivation leading to an increased skill in communicating with dissimilar individuals, and the latter by providing the skills and tools needed to analyse the politics of complex organisations.QC 20191202</p

Engineer-Centred Design Factors and Methodological Approach for Maritime Autonomy Emergency Response Systems

Commercial deployment of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASSs) is close to becoming a reality. Although MASSs are fully autonomous, the industry will still allow remote operations centre (ROC) operators to intervene if a MASS is facing an emergency the MASS cannot handle by itself. A human-centred design for the associated emergency response systems will require attention to the ROC operator workplace, but also, arguably, to the behaviour-shaping constraints on the engineers building these systems. There is thus a need for an engineer-centred design of engineering organisations, influenced by the current discourse on human factors. To contribute to the discourse, think-aloud protocol interviewing was conducted with well-informed maritime operators to elicit fundamental demands on cognition and collaboration by maritime autonomy emergency response systems. Based on the results, inferences were made regarding both design factors and methodological choices for future, early phase engineering of emergency response systems. Firstly, engineering firms have to improve their informal gathering and sharing of information through gatekeepers and/or organisational liaisons. To avoid a too cautious approach to accountability, this will have to include a closer integration of development and operations. Secondly, associated studies taking the typical approach of exposing relevant operators to new design concepts in scripted scenarios should include significant flexibility and less focus on realism.QC 20220822Boundaries of Autonom

Culture Implications on Future Work Design - New Technologies and Collaborations for Controllers and Pilots

Abstract As Air Traffic Control, ATC, has evolved gradually during the 20th century technology, law and culture have been developed and introduced into aviation in such a way that the aviation community in Europe now appears like a patchwork consisting of virtually hundreds of different and fragmented parts. Current harmonisation work such as the European Single Sky initiative may be seen as a reaction to this (European Commission, 1999). In the decade to come aeronautics will face large challenges when capacity limits will be reached because of ever increasing traffic. New technology is now gradually being introduced in order to meet these challenges (Eurocontrol,1998). In future aviation system pilots and air-traffic controllers will have new roles, responsibilities and ways of collaboration. The context for pilots and controllers work is very different, yet they are complementary actors in a common system. The two groups have different professional cultures and will be part of a common change. This paper consolidate recent research from Air Traffic Control, Flight Operations and Maintenance on issues such as organisational culture, safety culture, implementing major organisational change and a new human factors model. It is suggested that the consolidated research may be applied to and facilitate future changes in their joint system due to the many similarities and differences between flight operations (FO) and air traffic control (ATC) that exist. One conclusion is that the overall implication for future work design between controllers and pilots is not only cultural. It is necessary to develop theoretically sound practice that can create new organisational processes which are functionally effective for all stakeholders and which then provide the basis for a new collective understanding of how the system can work (McDonald, 2009) and go from there. Further research should be focused on discussing the re-1 Corresponding author 2 levance for developing a common process model with training modules for crosslearning and develop a common reporting system to feed common risk models and performance measures

Culture Implications on Future Work Design : New Technologies and Collaborations for Controllers and Pilots

As Air Traffic Control, ATC, has evolved gradually during the 20th century technology, law and culture have been developed and introduced into aviation in such a way that the aviation community in Europe now appears like a patchwork consisting of virtually hundreds of different and fragmented parts. Current harmonisation work such as the European Single Sky initiative may be seen as a reaction to this (European Commission, 1999). In the decade to come aeronautics will face large challenges when capacity limits will be reached because of ever increasing traffic. New technology is now gradually being introduced in order to meet these challenges (Eurocontrol, 1998). In future aviation system pilots and air-traffic controllers will have new roles, responsibilities and ways of collaboration. The context for pilots and controllers work is very different, yet they are complementary actors in a common system. The two groups have different professional cultures and will be part of a common change. This paper consolidate recent research from Air Traffic Control, Flight Operations and Maintenance on issues such as organisational culture, safety culture, implementing major organizational change and a new human factors model. It is suggested that the consolidated research may be applied to and facilitate future changes in their joint system due to the many similarities and differences between flight operations (FO) and air traffic control (ATC) that exist. One conclusion is that the overall implication for future work design between controllers and pilots is not only cultural. It is necessary to develop theoretically sound practice that can create new organisational processes which are functionally effective for all stakeholders and which then provide the basis for a new collective understanding of how the system can work (McDonald, 2009) and go from there. Further research should be focused on discussing the relevance for developing a common process model with training modules for crosslearning and develop a common reporting system to feed common risk models and performance measures.QC 20120222HILA

Slutrapport Förstudie Brantare

Förstudie Brantare är en förstudie vars syfte har varit att identifiera forskningsbehov som är relevanta för att kunna genomföra en meningsfull implementering av brantare inflygningsvinkel som bullerreducerande åtgärd. Detta har gjorts genom att: 1. Identifiera vilka variabler som är avgörande för att kunna tillämpa brantare inflygningsvinkel. Detta relaterat till flygoperativa aspekter och begränsningar. T ex faktorer såsom flygplanens egenskaper, vindriktning och styrka. Andra relevanta faktorer kan vara sikt, moln, nederbörd, inflygningsvinkel (autolandsystembegränsningar och inflygningsljusvinkel), trafikintensitet, flygplanskategori (Light, Medium, Heavy) etc. 2. Identifiera variabler som är avgörande för den potentiellt bullerreducerande effekten av brantare inflygningsvinkel. Detta är mer relaterat till hållbarhetsaspekter som bullergenerering samt spridning och exempelvis bränsleförbrukning (miljö och operativa kostnader). Målet har varit att, baserat på det identifierade forskningsbehovet, skapa ingångsvärden till ett kommande huvudprojekt Brantare. Huvudprojektets syfte kommer sedan att vara att ge kunskap om de flygoperationella aspekterna och effekterna av inflygning med glidbanevinklar brantare än vad som vanligtvis används av flygplan vid inflygning till en flygplats. Kunskap kommer då att erhållas huruvida piloters sätt att flyga innebär möjligheter eller begränsningar till att reducera buller i praktiken, och vilka möjligheter och begränsningar detta är. En brantare inflygningsvinkel minskar i teorin bullerpåverkan från ankommande flygplan till en flygplats genom att avståndet mellan bullerkällan och det störda området på marken ökas. Flygoperativt kommer troligtvis en förändring av glidbanevinkeln innebära en annorlunda hantering av flygplanets läges- och rörelseenergi. Effekten skulle kunna innebära att ett förändrat sätt att flyga då kan medföra nya mönster av bullerspridning vid inflygningen. Detta skulle kunna förta den önskade effekten och till och med kunna få direkt motsatt effekt för vissa områden på marken. I denna förstudie, som även lett fram till en forskningsansökan, har piloters agerande vid inflygning med brantare inflygningsvinkel konstaterats vara ett område som inte studerats särskilt ofta trots att forskning har efterfrågats. För att om möjligt kunna få ett tillräckligt stort flygoperativt underlag att arbeta med kommer därför en viktig del i huvudprojektet Brantare vara användningen av data från färdskrivare i kommersiella flygplan. Denna data innehåller betydligt mer information än exempelvis radardata. Genom att därur extrahera data rörande piloters agerande och korrigera den fysiska inflygningsvinkeln med vinddata, kan piloternas agerande studeras för en ekvivalent glidbana som motsvarar den glidbana som skulle ha flugits om det varit vindstilla. Förstudien har också konstaterat att samverkan med andra möjliga CSA-finansierade projekt, primärt SAFT, kan skapa synergieffekter och därmed ge en ökad förståelse för hur det potentiellt förändrade flygoperativa beteendet kopplat till en förändrad glidbanevinkel kan förväntas påverka bullerspridningen i varje punkt längs en inflygning och hur bullerspridningen kan förändras (t.ex. minska i ett område men öka i ett annat) med hänsyn till aktuell vind och faktiskt glidbanevinkel.CSA ULLA Undersökningar medelst Ljudmätningar vid Landningar på Arland

FLYT 365 – Dags att sjösätta förutsättningar för en innovativ kollektivtrafik?

Studien har en utgångspunkt i tidigare arbeten om kollektivtrafik på vatten men tar ett större grepp. Genom litteraturstudier och intervjuer med representanter för centrala aktörer i planeringen av kollektivtrafiksystemets utveckling och med ett avstamp i systemteori påvisas egenskaper som tillskrivs stora sociotekniska system. Därigenom framstår ett tydligt behov av att omvandla kollektivtrafiksystemet för att minska klimatavtryck och trängsel och samtidigt öka kapaciteten. Analysen visar hur inarbetade regelverk, planeringsprocesser, modeller, verktyg och samhälls­ekonomiska kalkyler deltar i en rådande socioteknisk regim som bara tillåter systemförändringar inom etablerade ramar. Förutsättningarna för innovation, i det här sammanhanget öppenheten för icke-etablerade trafiklösningar, blir därmed begränsade vilket hämmar omvandling i hållbar riktning. Rapporten identifierar och diskuterar en rad låsningar vilka beskrivs i relation till explicita delregimer och förklarar hur den etablerade regimen inte släpper in trafikslagsövergripande alternativ, inte uppfattar möjligheterna att utnyttja vattenvägar eller stödjer utveckling av andra icke etablerade alternativ. Låsningarna hindrar alternativ att slå igenom som inte ingår i systemets dominanta design. Studien konstaterar att bättre förutsättningar för innovation skulle bidra till ett faktiskt trafikslagsövergripande perspektiv och ökat nyttjande av bland annat potentialen hos vattenvägarna. Rapporten avslutas med att samla nyckelresultat, slutsatser samt tar steg framåt genom en uppsättning förslag för ökad innovativitet i utvecklingen av kollektivtrafiksystemet, varav några är direkt riktade till utvecklingen av den vattenburna kollektivtrafiken.QC 20201216</p

FLYT 365 – Dags att sjösätta förutsättningar för en innovativ kollektivtrafik?

Studien har en utgångspunkt i tidigare arbeten om kollektivtrafik på vatten men tar ett större grepp. Genom litteraturstudier och intervjuer med representanter för centrala aktörer i planeringen av kollektivtrafiksystemets utveckling och med ett avstamp i systemteori påvisas egenskaper som tillskrivs stora sociotekniska system. Därigenom framstår ett tydligt behov av att omvandla kollektivtrafiksystemet för att minska klimatavtryck och trängsel och samtidigt öka kapaciteten. Analysen visar hur inarbetade regelverk, planeringsprocesser, modeller, verktyg och samhälls­ekonomiska kalkyler deltar i en rådande socioteknisk regim som bara tillåter systemförändringar inom etablerade ramar. Förutsättningarna för innovation, i det här sammanhanget öppenheten för icke-etablerade trafiklösningar, blir därmed begränsade vilket hämmar omvandling i hållbar riktning. Rapporten identifierar och diskuterar en rad låsningar vilka beskrivs i relation till explicita delregimer och förklarar hur den etablerade regimen inte släpper in trafikslagsövergripande alternativ, inte uppfattar möjligheterna att utnyttja vattenvägar eller stödjer utveckling av andra icke etablerade alternativ. Låsningarna hindrar alternativ att slå igenom som inte ingår i systemets dominanta design. Studien konstaterar att bättre förutsättningar för innovation skulle bidra till ett faktiskt trafikslagsövergripande perspektiv och ökat nyttjande av bland annat potentialen hos vattenvägarna. Rapporten avslutas med att samla nyckelresultat, slutsatser samt tar steg framåt genom en uppsättning förslag för ökad innovativitet i utvecklingen av kollektivtrafiksystemet, varav några är direkt riktade till utvecklingen av den vattenburna kollektivtrafiken.QC 20201216</p