Human-autonomy teaming interface design considerations for multi-unmanned vehicle control

ABSTRACT

Future applications are envisioned in which a single human operator manages multiple heterogeneous unmanned vehicles (UVs) by working together with an autonomy teammate that consists of several intelligent decision-aiding agents/services. This article describes recent advancements in developing a new interface paradigm that will support human-autonomy teaming for air, ground, and surface (sea craft) UVs in defence of a military base. Several concise and integrated candidate control station interfaces are described by which the operator determines the role of autonomy in UV management using an adaptable automation control scheme. An extended play calling based control approach is used to support human-autonomy communication and teaming in managing how UV assets respond to potential threats (e.g. asset allocation, routing, and execution details). The design process for the interfaces is also described including: analysis of a base defence scenario used to guide this effort, consideration of ecological interface design constructs, and generation of UV and task-related pictorial symbology.     

An integrative model of autonomous agent teammate-likeness

ABSTRACT

Advancements in autonomy are beginning to allow humans to partner with machines in order to accomplish work tasks in various settings. As human–agent teaming (HAT) becomes more prevalent as a research topic, the need to understand humans’ psychological perceptions of the machine partner is increasingly important, especially in terms of its perceived role, which may ultimately impact trust and team effectiveness. Specifically, it remains unclear how humans perceive intelligent agents and how consistent these perceptions are with existing taxonomies found in the psychology of teams. The present paper presents a definition of the construct of autonomous agent teammate-likeness (AAT) and a conceptual model of its components, reviews related concepts and germane research and proffers a number of propositions to guide future research. The goal is to contribute to the nascent literature on HAT by establishing a theoretical foundation for the AAT construct, upon which researchers can advance research on HAT.     

Situation awareness-based agent transparency and human-autonomy teaming effectiveness

ABSTRACT

Effective collaboration between humans and agents depends on humans maintaining an appropriate understanding of and calibrated trust in the judgment of their agent counterparts. The Situation Awareness-based Agent Transparency (SAT) model was proposed to support human awareness in human–agent teams. As agents transition from tools to artificial teammates, an expansion of the model is necessary to support teamwork paradigms, which require bidirectional transparency. We propose that an updated model can better inform human–agent interaction in paradigms involving more advanced agent teammates. This paper describes the model's use in three programmes of research, which exemplify the utility of the model in different contexts – an autonomous squad member, a mediator between a human and multiple subordinate robots, and a plan recommendation agent. Through this review, we show that the SAT model continues to be an effective tool for facilitating shared understanding and proper calibration of trust in human–agent teams.     

Notes for Contributors /

Abstract

The aim of this study was to depict a framework for development of integrated intelligent human engineering environment in complex critical systems. Conventional health, safety and environment (HSE) are a widely used approach to enhance reliability and safety of complex systems. The integrated health, safety, environment and ergonomics management system (HSEE‐MS) is defined however as integration of conventional HSE with ergonomics.

To show the need for and superiority of HSEE over conventional HSE, a gas treatment company in Iran was studied. Evaluation of ergonomics was carried out by 195 male employees responding to questionnaires.

The integrated HSEE system introduces a unique, effective and systemic mechanism, which integrates the structure of the human and organizational systems with a conventional HSE system. It is utilized to enhance reliability, availability, maintainability and safety through the proposed integrated framework of this study.     

Providing practitioners with techniques for cognitive work analysis

Contributing to the advancement of cognitive ergonomics, both as a scientific discipline and as a field of professional activity, is a major challenge for the future of ergonomics. It is to advance this objective that I want to make my contribution: while cognitive ergonomics has undoubtedly become established as a scientific discipline, it is still only applied in an approximate fashion by consultant ergonomists in their day-to-day work of analysing and improving socio-technical systems. The cognitive analysis of work is still too close to a research activity rather than a practice. Beyond the protected frontiers of university laboratories and research departments of large corporations, cognitive engineering often draws more on intuition derived from operators' cognitive activities than from the results of rigorous methodological approaches. This hampers the expansion of cognitive ergonomics as a vehicle for transforming socio-technical systems. Developing practical means of applying cognitive ergonomics within the context of operation on the ground is, thus, a challenge to be met, if this scientific discipline is to contribute fully to the improvement of working systems on a daily basis.     

Modeling of the Transient Particle Velocity Distribution in the Fluidized Bed Combustor (FBC) Riser

ABSTRACT

The geometrical distributions of transient particle velocity in a fluidized bed combustor (FBC) riser are critical to FBC design and manufacturing. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) instrumentation was applied to visualize the particle transient movement in the area of interest (AOI) of an experimental cold model (152 mm ID × 610 mm height) of an FBC. Sixteen (16) PIV particle velocity profiles were generated for the AOI in a 1.6-second time period. A ten (columns) × five (rows) grid was set for each profile. Three levels of fluidizing air velocity were set for the experiments at 2.477 m/s, 2.677 m/s, and 2.823 m/s respectively. A knowledge-based regression method was applied to generate the empirical model of the two-dimensional particle transient velocity with the consideration of four independent variables, x (x coordinate), y (y coordinate), V_g (fluidizing air velocity), and t (time). This model had a data fitting accuracy of 88%. In addition, this model had a very good validation performance with the data obtained from other tests at different experimental setups.

The modeling method is applied for the first time to the particle movement in FBC risers. The research work proved that the design of the experiment and regression analysis are very effective and practical for evaluating experimental conditions and analyzing experimental results in FBC systems.     

Evaluation of the Dynamic Yield Locus Tester (DYLT)

ABSTRACT

Shear cells based on the constant volume approach are a promising alternative to the conventional constant load techniques. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the dynamic yield locus tester (DYLT) based on the constant volume approach, and the computer controlled Jenkie tester (CCJT) based on the constant load approach. This was done by comparing the flow parameters obtained using the two techniques for BCR limestone, glass fibers, ground silica, microcrystalline cellulose, and wheat flour. Test results showed the flow parameters obtained using the DYLT and the CCJT were comparable at a level of significance of 0.05 for BCR limestone, glass fibers, ground silica, and microcrystalline cellulose. There were significant differences (p > 0.05) between the flow parameters of the DYLT and CCJT for wheat flour.     

智能交互系统中人机组队协同工效提升的模型构建

目的 智能交互系统在城市救援及日常生活中应用越来越广泛,探讨了人机组队作业中人机协同工效提升的内在机制和规律,以构建人机组队协同的相容性理论模型并应用于复杂系统中人机组队的设计和优化。方法 采用跨学科交叉分析和文献调研分析的方法,分别对认知心理学、工程心理学和计算机科学等不同领域文献进行充分检索和分析,系统梳理了从智能体的界面设计及自动化水平、操作员状态与情境感知能力、人机关系及交互方式等对人机协同工效的影响因素;并通过共享心理模型、自然主义决策模型、多重表征模型尝试对人机如何协同的机制进行探讨和分析,指出了目前研究中存在的问题和不足。在此基础上提出较为系统的智能交互系统中人机组队相容性理论模型。结果 该模型通过对人、智能体、环境和任务特征进行分析,并从物理相容性、认知相容性和情感相容性三个角度,对人机组队协同工效提升的内在规律和机制进行深入探讨,有效提升人机组队协同的系统工效和用户体验,避免安全事故的发生。结论 智能交互系统中人机组队的相容性模型可用于未来人机协同工效提升的理论和实践研究,也可用于未来智能人机交互系统,特别是智能化时代人机组队的设计和优化,满足众多复杂的人机系统(如商用飞机驾驶舱、核电站中央控制室)人机高效协同设计的需求,为建立自然高效人机协同作业的交互模式提供科学依据。     

Neuroergonomics: Research and practice

This article describes the characteristics and scope of neuroergonomics, defined as the study of brain and behaviour at work. Neuroergonomics focuses on investigations of the neural bases of mental functions and physical performance in relation to technology, work, leisure, transportation, health care and other settings in the real world. The two major goals of neuroergonomics are to use knowledge of brain function and human performance to design technologies and work environments for safer and more efficient operation, and to advance understanding of brain function underlying real-world human performance. The conceptual, theoretical and philosophical issues at the core of neuroergonomics--that lie at the confluence of cognitive science, neuroscience, and ergonomics--are discussed. Adaptive human-machine systems are then described as an illustration of neuroergonomic research. Several other examples of neuroergonomic research and practice are also described.     

工业系统的智能交互模式及人因工效研究综述

随着物联网、CPS、大数据等技术的出现和发展,生产制造、航空驾驶、安全监控等工业系统已进入第四次工业革命的智能转型升级。目的 工业系统的智能交互模式与人因工效是人机协同共生的关键核心问题。方法 从工业制造的智能化转型、航空航天的人机协同、核电安全智能监控等多个重大行业背景出发,分析人—信息—物理系统智能交互的发展趋势;剖析工业智能背景下国内外人因工效测评技术、评价模型及多源指标关联性研究进展;梳理智能化工业系统的信息表征发展趋势及多通道交互研究方法。结论 从国内外研究综述表明,需要从多学科交叉融通的角度构建智能化工业系统的人机交互研究体系,这将极大地改善系统中的人（任务执行者）获取信息、知识推理、判断决策的认知绩效,达成智能交互的人机物闭环,实现人（自然人、机器人）、信息系统、物理系统的充分感知融合,即人机协同共生模式。     

Theoretical issues in general and developmental ergonomics

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a number of critical theoretical issues which revolve around the relationship of the human with technology. This has two aspects: (1) the human response to already developed technology (general ergonomics); and (2) the application of ergonomics principles and data to system design (developmental ergonomics). Ergonomics research which does not focus on the human/technology relationship has little to offer ergonomics. That research must also be directed to the problem of transforming behavioural principles into their physical equivalents.     

Comparison of three EIT-type resonances formed in Rb nanocell

Abstract

The electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) phenomenon is studied using a nanometric thin (L = 795 nm) Rb vapour layer. EIT-type resonances that are formed in three different energy-level systems are reported. It is demonstrated that the EIT resonance which is formed in a Λ-system where the ground levels are separated by the hyperfine splitting (EIT_H-resonance) has the smallest linewidth (~10 MHz). The EIT resonance which is realized in a Λ-system formed by the Zeeman sublevels of the F_g = 2 → F_e = 1 transition (EIT_Z-resonance) has a larger linewidth (~14 MHz). The EIT_V-resonance which is formed in the V-system has the largest linewidth (~40 MHz). The uniqueness of the EIT phenomena reported here is that they can be formed in different types of Λ-systems even for L < 1 μm. The splitting of the EIT_Z-resonance into two components in a transverse magnetic field is reported. The theoretical model well describes the experiment.     

Project teaming in a democratic company context

ABSTRACT

Teaming in democracy generates knowledge, the raw material for innovation, the catalyst for development, progress and extroversion. Democratic teaming, rather than teaming per se, provides people with the space needed to speak and be heard, to give and share, to contribute and to co-evolve in a cooperative and non-competitive way. Democratic teaming belongs to applied philosophy, not applied management, generating added-value for organisations and a shared value for the society. The democratic teaming model is characterised by the principles of placing the right person in the right place at the right time and with the right scope. The model also presents the concept that teams have systemic, dynamic and agile structures, which are affected by the project they are called to serve, within organisationally lean and agile hierarchies for the maximum utilisation of employees’ intellectual capital. This paper presents the democratic teaming construct, concepts and approach within the company democracy model.     

Simulation and analysis of reconfigurable assembly systems based on R-TNCES

ABSTRACT

Recent research indicates that dynamic reconfiguration techniques can be applied to manufacturing systems to reduce energy consumption by switching energy-intensive components in a timely manner between their working and idle modes during system runtime because these components consume less energy in their idle modes than in their working modes. The current work studies reconfigurable assembly systems with such dynamic reconfiguration techniques by abstracting them as reconfigurable discrete event systems, considering only their logic behavior and properties. The formalism, R-TNCES (reconfigurable timed net condition/event systems), a modular extension of the well-known Petri nets, is used as a system modeling and analysis tool. The simulation of system global reconfigurations is guided by command inserting, whereas the simulation of local reconfigurations is automatic because their execution time is computed a priori by a proposed algorithm. Finally, qualitative properties specified by computation tree logic and quantitative analysis regarding energy-efficiency are performed by using the software SESA.     

Industrial statistics: The challenges and the research

ABSTRACT

Industrial problems have stimulated an enormous amount of valuable statistical research, from the t-test to advanced statistical tools for quality. Industry continues to generate challenging problems for statistical design, modeling, and analysis. Useful articles are published in our journals, often stimulated by industrial applications. Nonetheless, there is concern that research in industrial statistics is falling well short of its potential for providing interesting problems, that some of the most exciting problems are not getting space in our journals, and that few statisticians working in industry are publishing research. This article endeavors to map out the current state of research in industrial statistics, to describe major issues that need to be addressed, and to discuss whether the research is on target to meet those challenges.     

Spiral hyperlens with enhancements of image resolution and magnification

Abstract

A subwavelength spiral hyperlens that is able to image beyond the diffraction limit is studied. The spiral hyperlens is made from an anisotropic metamaterial with a hyperbolic dispersion relation in which the evanescent wave is converted into a propagating wave. Therefore, the propagating wave can be processed by conventional optical systems outside of the spiral hyperlens. The possibility of using a cylindrical hyperlens for overcoming the diffraction limit has been proven analytically and experimentally. In this study, we designed two types of spiral hyperlenses composed of a spiral periodic stack of silver and alumina multilayers. A spiral hyperlens utilizes the spiral geometry to magnify the objects. In comparison with a cylindrical hyperlens, a spiral hyperlens has improved performance in terms of higher image resolution and better image magnifications. Numerical simulations illustrate that the far-field imaging resolution of cylindrical spiral hyperlens is no greater than 110 nm at 365 nm working wavelength.     

A NOVEL QUICK-CLOSING PROBE FOR MEASURING LOCAL PARTICULATE PHASE DENSITY IN GAS-PARTICLE SUSPENSIONS

ABSTRACT

An innovative quick-closing probe system was designed, built, and tested for measuring the local particulate phase density of gas-particle suspensions. Experiments with glass beads and powder coals were conducted in a horizontal channel with an aspect ratio of 11 to 1, and also in a 0·25 m I.D. bench-scale vortex chamber. Results of particle density distributions in these two systems indicated the ability of the probe to perform in highly turbulent, swirling, dilute and intermediate phase gas-particle suspension flows. The probe was connected with a microcomputer-assisted particle weighing system for data collection and reduction. Comparison of measured data by this probe with calculated results was assessed. Since this probe requires no calibration curve nor empirical equation, it serves as a primary standard for particle density measurements. The design features, working principle, component characteristics, overall performance, and test results are discussed in this paper.     

Perceptual Control: Leading Uncontrollable People

ABSTRACT

The leadership challenge is to guide, coordinate, direct, and, yes, control outcomes from combined efforts of associates while allowing them to direct and control themselves. This final article in a series focuses on the hierarchical nature of human experience and extends the application of hierarchical perceptual control theory (HPCT) to several leadership issues. The testable principles of HPCT have enabled the operation of our nervous system to be demonstrated in working models. The explanation HPCT offers for human behavior can be the foundation for successes of modern engineering management.     

The effect of size on structure and stress in grained films

ABSTRACT

Molecular dynamics simulations are carried out to study the evolution of stress during deposition of atoms on the (001) plane of an FCC crystal, using rectangular simulation box with x–y periodic boundary conditions. The system consists of grains and boundaries. In the current study, we consider different values of the grain-to-grain distances and different relative sizes of deposited atoms. The structure was determined by the kinematical scattering theory. The main factors influencing the stress in thin film systems are creating of dislocation and changing the crystalline structure in grains. The deposited atoms can significantly contribute to the total stress. Depending on their size, atoms contribute compressive or tensile stresses to the total stress.

This paper is part of a Thematic Issue on The Crystallographic Aspects of Metallic Alloys.