KNOWLEDGE-BASED TOOLS FOR THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS

WHILE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THE AUTOMATION OF MANY CREW FUNCTIONS FEASIBLE, HUMAN CAPABILITIES, LIMITATIONS, AND PREFERENCES MAY MAKE AUTOMATING CERTAIN FUNCTIONS UNDESIRABLE. DESIGNERS INITIALLY MAKE FUNCTION-ALLOCATION DECISIONS DURING THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO KNOWLEDGE-BASED TOOLS AVAILABLE THAT SUPPORT THE DESIGNER IN MAKING THESE DECISIONS. THESE DECISIONS DEFINE THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN'S ROLE IN THE SYSTEM AND DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE LEVELS THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH THE SYSTEM. A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE LIFE-CYCLE COSTS OF A SYSTEM ARE ALSO DETERMINED BY DECISIONS MADE DURING CONCEPTUAL DESIGN. THE DESIGN TOOLS TO BE DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE DESIGNER IN DEFINING AND ALLOCATING THE SYSTEM'SFUNCTIONS; EVALUATING THE HUMAN'S FUNCTIONS AND TASKS BY EXAMINING THE HUMAN CAPABILITIES, LIMITATIONS, AND PREFERENCES; AND SUGGESTING METHODS FOR OVERCOMING THE LIMITATIONS AND ENHANCING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE HUMAN. THIS EFFORT WILL DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE DESIGNER NEEDS, IDENTIFY DESIGN AND KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATIONS FOR THE TOOLS, AND DEVELOP A SCRIPTED PROTOTYPE TO DEMONSTRATE AND EVALUATE THE TOOLS. WHILE CURRENT TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THE AUTOMATION OF MANY CREW FUNCTIONS FEASIBLE, HUMAN CAPABILITIES, LIMITATIONS, AND PREFERENCES MAY MAKE AUTOMATING CERTAIN FUNCTIONS UNDESIRABLE. DESIGNERS INITIALLY MAKE FUNCTION-ALLOCATION DECISIONS DURING THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN OF HUMAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS. THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO KNOWLEDGE-BASED TOOLS AVAILABLE THAT SUPPORT THE DESIGNER IN MAKING THESE DECISIONS. THESE DECISIONS DEFINE THE NATURE OF THE HUMAN'S ROLE IN THE SYSTEM AND DETERMINE THE POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE LEVELS THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH THE SYSTEM. A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE LIFE-CYCLE COSTS OF A SYSTEM ARE ALSO DETERMINED BY DECISIONS MADE DURING CONCEPTUAL DESIGN. THE DESIGN TOOLS TO BE DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE DESIGNER IN DEFINING AND ALLOCATING THE SYSTEM'SFUNCTIONS; EVALUATING THE HUMAN'S FUNCTIONS AND TASKS BY EXAMINING THE HUMAN CAPABILITIES, LIMITATIONS, AND PREFERENCES; AND SUGGESTING METHODS FOR OVERCOMING THE LIMITATIONS AND ENHANCING THE CAPABILITIES OF THE HUMAN. THIS EFFORT WILL DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE SUPPORT THAT THE DESIGNER NEEDS, IDENTIFY DESIGN AND KNOWLEDGE REPRESENTATIONS FOR THE TOOLS, AND DEVELOP A SCRIPTED PROTOTYPE TO DEMONSTRATE AND EVALUATE THE TOOLS.