”Man’s (and Sheep’s) Best Friend”: Towards a Shepherding-based Metaphor for Human-Computer Cooperation in Process Control

Metaphors can be helpful in human-computer interaction in various ways, e.g., for user-appropriate design of interfaces, naming of functions, or visualization. In the field of process control, paradigm shifts are imminent under terms such as smart control rooms or pervasive computing environments. However, there is a lack of suitable metaphors to accompany this development. This paper examines the extent to which sheep herding and the relationships between humans, dogs, and sheep can be a suitable model for shaping human-computer cooperation in process control. Even though sheep herding has already been discussed in various relationships to HCI, a systematic discussion of the factors that underlie successful human-animal cooperation is lacking. This is introduced in this paper based on an expert interview and literature research. Based on this, it is discussed to what extent the success factors can be transferred to the design of technical systems and human-computer cooperation.