Task delegation in an agent supervisory control relationship capability awareness in a cognitive agent

An artificial cognitive agent, guiding a UAV based on operator-given tasks, is introduced onboard a conventionally automated aircraft in order to support the human operator. The agent acts in two roles - as subordinate to the human and at the same time as supervisor to the conventional onboard automation. The hierarchical relationship is described by the term Agent Supervisory Control. The ACU performs Supervisory Functions, with which the tasks of the operator are aggregated into single actions. The agent considers automation functions of the UAV as capabilities that are managed and incorporated into its planning and execution process in accordance to their availability and requirements. Task delegation is highly adaptable and aims at situation adequate supervision for the operator. The agent uses its capability awareness in its subordinate role to correct possible mismatches in the mental model of the human.

[1]  Guy A. Boy,et al.  Cognitive function analysis for human-centered automation of safety-critical systems , 1998, CHI.

[2]  Axel Schulte,et al.  Task-based Guidance of Multiple UAV Using Cognitive Automation , 2011 .

[3]  Axel Schulte,et al.  UAV Capability Management using Agent Supervisory Control , 2013 .

[4]  Thomas B. Sheridan,et al.  Telerobotics, Automation, and Human Supervisory Control , 2003 .

[5]  Jeffrey M. Bradshaw,et al.  Ten Challenges for Making Automation a "Team Player" in Joint Human-Agent Activity , 2004, IEEE Intell. Syst..

[6]  Axel Schulte,et al.  Knowledge Configured Vehicle - A layered artificial cognition based approach to decoupling high-level UAV mission tasking from vehicle implementation properties , 2011 .

[7]  Raja Parasuraman,et al.  Human-Automation Interaction , 2005 .

[8]  Axel Schulte,et al.  Design considerations for COSA2 , 2011, 2011 IEEE Symposium on Intelligent Agent (IA).

[9]  Axel Schulte,et al.  Cognitive Automation based Guidance and Operator Assistance for semi-autonomous Mission Accomplishment of the UAV Demonstrator SAGITTA , 2013 .

[10]  John D. Lee,et al.  Trust in Automation: Designing for Appropriate Reliance , 2004 .

[11]  Axel Schulte,et al.  Using cognitive automation for aircraft general systems management , 2010, 2010 5th International Conference on System of Systems Engineering.

[12]  Peter A. Hancock,et al.  Human-Centered Design of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles , 2003 .

[13]  Sebastian Clauss,et al.  Design and Evaluation of a UAS combining Cognitive Automation and Optimal Control , 2012, Infotech@Aerospace.

[14]  Allen E. Milewski,et al.  Delegating to software agents , 1997, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[15]  Thomas B. Sheridan.  Human centered automation: oxymoron or common sense? , 1995, 1995 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics. Intelligent Systems for the 21st Century.

[16]  Axel Schulte,et al.  System-Ergonomic Design of Cognitive Automation: Dual-Mode Cognitive Design of Vehicle Guidance and Control Work Systems , 2010, Studies in Computational Intelligence.

[17]  Axel Schulte,et al.  Intent-Based UAV Mission Management Using an Adaptive Mixed-Initiative Operator Assistant System , 2013 .

[18]  Jens Rasmussen,et al.  Skills, rules, and knowledge; signals, signs, and symbols, and other distinctions in human performance models , 1983, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.

[19]  A. Schulte.  Kognitive und kooperative Automation zur Führung unbemannter Luftfahrzeuge , 2013 .