This book provides a rationale, based on a human factors perspective, for making decisions about (1) the extent to which automation should be applied to the performance of national airspace system functions and (2) the issues to consider and the methods to apply during design and introduction of systems that incorporate automation to maximize the safety, efficiency, usability, and acceptance of systems that incorporate automation. The discussion and analysis is divided into three parts: Part I introduces definitions, concepts, and promising emerging technologies; Part II analyzes key automation initiatives; and Part III discusses research and development for the national airspace and presents conclusions and recommendations. A glossary of aviation and related acronyms appears in Appendix A.
Part I contains two chapters. The first chapter begins by examining the rationale for pursuing automation, presenting the panel's characterization of human-centered automation, and exploring levels of automation in three dimensions: information acquisition, decision and action selection, and action implementation. The discussion then turns to issues of system performance, human performance, adaptive automation, and design and management influences. These discussions provide a basis for the analytic framework for current and proposed systems used in Part II.
The second chapter reviews some advances in hardware and software that may offer opportunities for automating a greater range of information processing, decision making, and control functions. The emerging technologies reviewed include visualization, intelligent decision aiding, and computer-supported cooperative work.