Automation in operator assistant systems

Automation in operator assistant systems requires accurate functional analysis and decomposition to allow allocation of tasks between the human operator and the system. In most cases, a dynamic task allocation is needed in which the level of automation (or system autonomy) is dependent on changing operator needs in a dynamic operational environment. This paper provides a step-by-step concept for automation. Candidate tasks for automation are identified by their specific control and display interface characteristics. Control and display characteristics of each task will then lead to a hierarchical decomposition of task levels. The relationship between these levels is that the operator will only pay full attention to the next level once all tasks allocated to the previous one are handled adequately. This hierarchy is translated into a framework of different classes of automation and operator assistance.