Using goal directed task analysis to identify situation awareness requirements of advanced paramedics

Advanced paramedics, known in the UK as emergency care practitioners (ECPs) are employed by ambulance services to meet the demand for urgent care in the community. The role has been evaluated in terms of patient outcomes. To further understand and evaluate the role, Goal Directed Task Analysis (GDTA) was conducted. Based on the analysis, situation awareness requirements among ECPs were identified. The results of the GDTA are presented and their implication discussed in terms of goal hierarchy structure, patient as source of information, and sociotechnical system. We discuss recommendations for the role with regard to the ECPs' SA. Further SA studies to evaluate and develop the ECP role are also outlined

Human-centered challenges and contributions for the implementation of automated driving

Automated driving is expected to increase safety and efficiency of road transport. With regard to the implementation of automated driving, we observed that those aspects which need to be further developed especially relate to human capabilities. Based on this observation and the understanding that automation will most likely be applied in terms of partially automated driving, we distinguished 2 major challenges for the implementation of partially automated driving: (1) Defining appropriate levels of automation, and; (2) Developing appropriate transitions between manual control and automation. The Assisted Driver Model has provided a framework for the first challenge, because this model recommends levels of automation dependent on traffic situations. To conclude, this research also provided brief directions on the second challenge, i.e. solutions how to accommodate drivers with partially automatio

A Human Situation Awareness Support System to Avoid Technological Disasters

In many complex technological systems, accidents have primarily been attributed to human error. In the majority of these accidents the human operators were striving against significant challenges. They have to face data overload, the challenge of working with a complex system and the stressful task of understanding what is going on in the situation. Therefore, to design and implement complex technological systems where the information flow is quite high, and poor decisions may lead to serious consequences, Situation Awareness (SA) should be appropriately considered. A level 1 SA is highly supported in these systems through the various heterogeneous sensors and signal-processing methods but, for levels 2 and 3 there is still a need for concepts and methods. This work develops a system called the Human Situation Awareness Support System (HSASS) that supports the safety operators in an ever increasing amount of available risky status and alert information. The proposed system includes a new dynamic situation assessment method based on risk, which has the ability to support the operators understanding of the current state of the system, predict the near future, and suggest appropriate actions. The proposed system does not control the course of action and allows the human to act at his/her discretion in specific contexts

Co-Evolutionary Learning for Cognitive Computer Generated Entities

In this paper, an approach is advocated to use a hybrid approach towards learning behaviour for computer generated entities (CGEs) in a serious gaming setting. Hereby, an agent equipped with cognitive model is used but this agent is enhanced with Machine Learning (ML) capabilities. This facilitates the agent to exhibit human like behaviour but avoid an expert having to define all parameters explicitly. More in particular, the ML approach utilizes co-evolution as a learning paradigm. An evaluation in the domain of one-versus-one air combat shows promising results

An Integrated Agent Model Addressing Situation Awareness and Functional State in Decision Making

In this paper, an integrated agent model is introduced addressing mutually interacting Situation Awareness and Functional State dynamics in decision making. This shows how a human's functional state, more specific a human's exhaustion and power, can influence a human's situation awareness, and in turn the decision making. The model is illustrated by a number of simulation scenarios. © 2011 Springer-Verlag

Ergonomics and sustainability: Towards and embrace of complexity and emergence

Technology offers a promising route to a sustainable future, and ergonomics can serve a vital role. The argument of this article is that the lasting success of sustainability initiatives in ergonomics hinges on an examination of ergonomics' own epistemology and ethics. The epistemology of ergonomics is fundamentally empiricist and positivist. This places practical constraints on its ability to address important issues such as sustainability, emergence and complexity. The implicit ethical position of ergonomics is one of neutrality, and its positivist epistemology generally puts value-laden questions outside the parameters of what it sees as scientific practice. We argue, by contrast, that a discipline that deals with both technology and human beings cannot avoid engaging with questions of complexity and emergence and seeking innovative ways of addressing these issues.No Full Tex