Using Psychologically Plausible Operator Cognitive Models to Enhance Operator Performance

Research by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) is currently being conducted that seeks to embody human-like cognitive capacities in machines by transforming the human-machine interaction so that it more closely resembles a human-to-human interaction. This document reports on the initial phase of research and development by SNL in creating a capability whereby a machine-based cognitive model provides a real-time awareness of the cognitive state of an operator. In the capability referred to as “Discrepancy Detection,” the machine uses an operator's cognitive model to monitor its own state and when there is evidence of a discrepancy between the actual state of the machine and the operator's perceptions concerning the state of the machine, a discrepancy may be signaled. The current project offers successful evidence that a machine may accurately infer an operator's interpretation of situations based on an individualized cognitive model of the operator.