Human-AI/Automation Joint Control

Human AI/Automation Interaction is central to manage mission-critical systems where automation is not completely autonomous. Research is conducted using similar labels, such as Human-Automation Collaboration (HAC), Human-Machine Teaming (HAT), Human-Centered AI (HAI). Our research focuses on Human-AI/Automation Joint Control Systems for mission-critical processes. Those are systems that include at least one human operator, one process to control, as well as an automation or AI component that must also be controlled. The research is applied to domains such as Air Traffic Management, Maritime Traffic Management, Train Traffic Management, Emergency and Crisis response. In such systems, automation and AI can support humans, and also manage tasks autonomously - up to a point. There is always a point where humans must oversee that the system is working as it should - and perhaps also take a higher degree of control.

We conduct basic research in this domain concerning theories of human-automation/AI interaction. We also study the application of these basic theories in the form of a) methods and tools for analysis and design, and b) design concepts for control. We study several application domains, but we have done extensive work on Air Traffic Management and Maritime Vessel Traffic Guidance. Visualization is a strong theme in our research, with a visual approach to analysis and visual control concepts. We take a human-centered perspecitve, with the aim of amplifying the human ability to act together with AI/Automation. We work on the themes Controllable, Verifiable, and Resilient joint systems.

In this work, we are developing an analysis tool, the Joint Control Famework Editor (JCF-E) to understand temporal human-AI/Automation joint control interactions. We are also developing a simulator and visualizer, to understand, develop, and test new concepts for Urban Air Mobility (UAM), the UTM CITY Simulator. In addition, we develop interactive control concepts that can tested in real-time systems (simulators). We have also estabilished a simulator lab with a Ship Bridge and Vessel Traffic (VTS) simulator (from Wärtsilä) as well as a Multiple Remote Tower simulator (from SAAB), with equipment for quantitative experimentation (e.g. through Eye Trackers from Smart Eye and Tobii).