Human supervisory control of aircraft, rail and highway vehicles

This paper reviews recent trends in control of aircraft, rail and highway vehicles toward supervisory control. Supervisory control means the human operator intermittently specifies goals, constraints and procedural information to a computer, monitors synoptic displays of state information, and tasks the computer to execute the instructions automatically. This trend has been driven by new sensor, communication and computer technology. Full automation of these transport systems is currently unacceptable, not only for reasons of safety, but also because radical departure from present systems is technologically and economically infeasible, in addition to which the public does not like radical change. Commercial and military aircraft are easily the most advanced of the three transportation modes. Rail and highway systems are currently undergoing rapid transformation, nevertheless impeded by economic and other societal constraints. Examples of new technological developments are given for each mode. Common problems are then described. Finally, some methodological elements are mentioned which are essential to resolving these problems.

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