LFV Automation program II area A: Human-automation collaboration through interactive visualization

In relation to many other industries, aviation and the air traffic control system have a relatively low-level automation. This is partly due to the fact that the business is tightly regulated internationally. For the same reason, the business is also associated with relatively long lead times from new solution proposals to operational solutions. The purpose specifically in area A is overall to develop theory and tools for understanding human-automation collaboration within ATM. Within Part A, the focus of the research is on a human-machine concept (digital colleague) to be able to relieve air traffic controllers in e.g. digital ATS environment i.e. "Remote Tower Services". The purpose is specifically to be able to understand the interaction human-digital colleague, for various analyzes such as design of HMI, safety evidence, etc. Another purpose is to relieve the visual burden for ATCO, through our research on sound as a medium for information (sonification).

The goal in the first years were to (1) develop methodology with tool support to understand human-automation collaboration, applied to test cases (2) define an operational concept for a digital assistant (virtual colleague) with a focus on interface to operator (3) design and test an initial sonication (sound-based design) for use with visualization in operator environments. The current goals are to support design new concepts for digital assistants for enroute and advanced air mobility in and between cities, in particular by refining methods with tool support for understanding joint human-automation/AI process control.

The automation program II is a continuation of a previous 5-year project. Actors in the project are LiU and LFV. The project is funded by the Swedish Transport Administration.