Appendix B
Workshop Agenda
HUMAN-AUTOMATION INTERACTION CONSIDERATIONS FOR UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM INTEGRATION: A WORKSHOP
January 10–11, 2018
THE NAS BUILDING OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
LECTURE ROOM
WASHINGTON, DC 20001
MEETING OBJECTIVES
The ad hoc committee on Human-Automation Interaction Considerations for Unmanned Aerial System Integration will conduct a 2-day workshop aimed at advancing the understanding of the human-factors/human-systems integration issues associated with the full integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs) into the National Airspace System (NAS). The focus will be on human interaction considerations relevant to the design and operations of UAS technology, particularly within the context of implementing automation capabilities within ground-control stations (GCS). The workshop will highlight existing human factors and human-systems integration research while identifying opportunities to address gaps and opportunities in research, application, and implementation.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2018, LECTURE ROOM
OPEN SESSION
7:45 a.m. | Breakfast and Welcomes |
8:30 a.m. | Sponsor Briefing |
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9:00 a.m. | Human-Systems Integration Issues for UASs and Automation Technologies |
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What human-systems integration considerations are paramount as this evolution of new UAS and automation technologies into the NAS takes place? This session will review the state of research on human-automation interaction, and considerations for operating UASs in the NAS. In addition, this session will also offer suggestions for supporting pilot situation awareness and UAS integration in the NAS, and research needs to support these operations. | |
10:00 a.m. | Break |
10:15 a.m. | The Reality of Full GCS Automation: How Far Away Are We Really? |
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How can automation technologies be leveraged to support UAS integration into the NAS? An interesting way of approaching this question is by looking at how manned aircraft interact with the NAS. A great deal of human activity is performed by pilots, including verbal interactions as well as human-triggered actions (such as activating or deactivating systems). Analyzing these pilot-driven activities for the potential for automation and the repercussions thereof (both intended and unintended) provides an important set of attributes for consideration. Taking advantage of the strengths of automated systems (like the ability to “remember” long, complicated, process-driven events) and identifying the strengths of humans in or over the loop (such as recognizing subtle problems and conceiving novel reactions to unforeseeable events) are obvious ways to proceed with developing a systematic understanding of the challenges and potentials. | |
11:15 a.m. | Transition Planning from Old GCS to New Briefing/Discussion |
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Transition—the path “from here to there”—is often far more difficult to define than the desired end state. This is partly due to the great challenge we often face with respect to finding the right balance between off-the-shelf technology and technology under development–the latter with greater potential but also greater uncertainty. Transition planning is also challenging because of uncertainty with respect to market evolution, and therefore the requirements for the supporting systems, and the uncertainty with respect to the operating environment. In this session, we will explore the requirements for UAS ground-control systems with an eye to articulating the essential requirements, that is, the requirements that are robust to both requirements and operational uncertainty. | |
12:15 p.m. | Lunch with Discussion by Attendees |
Lecture Room |
1:00 p.m. | Near-Term HSI Challenges with UAS Automation |
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What are the minimum automation requirements in the joint GCS-vehicle system to integrate UASs into the NAS and what challenges do they create for automation-based human performance issues that exist in legacy systems? | |
2:00 p.m. | Knowledge Gaps |
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What are the key knowledge gaps within these communities for understanding the interaction of the pilot/operator with GCS automation technologies? | |
3:00 p.m. | Break |
3:15 p.m. | Lessons Learned, Issues Identified in DoD GCS R&D Efforts |
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Most of the R&D efforts in HSI for UASs to date have focused on DoD UAS platforms (as well as GCSs for other unmanned and/or autonomous vehicles). This session will review lessons learned and issues identified from that community with reference to their bearing on human-automation interaction considerations for operating UASs into the NAS. In addition, this session will also offer suggestions for ongoing collaboration and information sharing across these fields. | |
4:15 p.m. | Man vs. Machine or Man + Machine? |
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This presentation will focus on how to allocate roles and functions between humans and computers in order to design systems that leverage the symbiotic strengths of humans and computers. Such collaborative systems should allow humans the ability to harness the raw computational and search power of computers, but also allow them the latitude to apply inductive reasoning for potentially creative, out-of-the-box thinking. Successful systems of the future will be those that combine the human and computer as a team instead of simply replacing humans with automation. | |
5:15 p.m. | End of Session |
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2018, LECTURE ROOM
OPEN SESSION
8:00 a.m. | What Information Does the Remote Pilot in Command Need to Know and Why? |
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This presentation will discuss some lessons learned from the development of ground stations for Global Hawk and discuss how those lessons learned provide insight into the human-systems integration aspects of the integration of emerging technology into the missions that are emerging for use of these platforms in the NAS. In many cases, the information required for pilotage is impacted by automation and mission, but there is essential information that has emerged out of the ASSURE work on Task A7 Unmanned Aircraft Systems Human Factors Considerations/A10 being conducted as part of the FAA UAS Center of Excellence that relates to the question of pilotage and automation. | |
9:00 a.m. | Human-Systems Integration Issues for UASs and Automation Technologies (cont.) |
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What human-systems integration considerations are paramount as this evolution of new UAS and automation technologies into the NAS takes place? This session will review the state of research on human-automation interaction, and considerations for operating UASs into the NAS. In addition, this session will also offer suggestions for supporting pilot situation awareness and UAS integration into the NAS, and research needs to support these operations. | |
10:00 a.m. | Break |
10:15 a.m. | What Do We Not Know? Pulling Committee Competencies into the Proceedings |
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11:15 a.m. | Wrap-up Discussion with Sponsor and Attendees |
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12:15 p.m. | Adjourn |