A framework for describing interaction between human operators and autonomous, automated, and manual control systems

• Published in: Cognition, technology & work Vol. 23; no. 3; pp. 381 - 401
• Main Authors: Lundberg, Jonas, Johansson, Björn J. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer London 01.08.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aerospace Technology and Astronautics; Automation; Automotive Engineering; Cognitive Psychology; Computer Science; Human-automation collaboration · Automation transparency · Levels of automation · Cognitive work analysis · Cognitive systems engineering; Industrial and Organizational Psychology; Medicine/Public Health; Original Research; Process controls; User Interfaces and Human Computer Interaction; Automation transparency; Levels of automation; Cognitive work analysis; Human-automation collaboration; Cognitive systems engineering
• ISSN: 1435-5558; 1435-5566; 1435-5566
• DOI: 10.1007/s10111-020-00637-w

This paper addresses how to describe critical episodes of interaction between human operators and autonomous, automated, and manual control systems. The first part of the paper poses three questions: (1) what levels of cognitive control are important to include in a descriptive framework for joint human-autonomy in process control; (2) how should one describe temporal developments in joint socio-technical systems; and (3) how does one analyse communication and control at the system joints. The paper proceeds by proposing a new framework for description and analysis, the Joint Control Framework (JCF), with a simple notation, the Score (JCF-S). It allows descriptions of the three previously mentioned aspects through three analytical activities: process mapping (PM), analysis of Levels of Autonomy in Cognitive Control (LACC), and temporal descriptions of human–machine interaction (T-HMI) through the Score notation. This facilitates analyses across cases and domains. The framework is discussed based on an analysis of two episodes; one work episode (from an air traffic control tower simulator); and one work procedure (from an unmanned traffic management system design concept).