Automating functions in multi-agent control systems: supporting the decision process

A challenge for designers of safety critical systems is to recognise that human issues are critical to their safe automation. Appropriate techniques for taking account of these issues should be integrated into the design process. This paper provides a brief introduction to a two-step decision procedure for deciding how to automate an interactive system. The method has received preliminary evaluation in aviation and naval contexts. It is intended for use early in the development of systems in larger scale collaborative settings with the aim of improving their safety and performance. The method aids the designer in identifying how to take advantage of the benefits offered by automation so that it does not interfere with the operator’s ability to perform his or her job. It does this by guiding the matching of functions to a set of defined roles.