Adaptive Automation and Human Performance. 3. Effects of Practice on the Benefits and Costs of Automation Shifts

Abstract : Adaptive automation, or adaptive function allocation, is thought to maximize the benefits associated with cockpit automation while maintaining pilot involvement,enhancing situation awareness, and regulating workload. These claims have not been tested empirically. The present study examined the effects of short-cycle adaptive automation and practice on performance-of flight-related functions in a multi-task environment. Twenty four non pilot subjects were tested on a PC-based flight- simulation task that included three primary flight functions -- tracking, monitoring, and fuel management. Each function could be automated or performed manually. The results provide preliminary evidence that dynamic automation shifts over short cycles, of the type likely in adaptive systems, benefit performance of flight- related tasks, with no evidence of costs to performance following the return to manual control. Benefits are realized despite the added workload of supervisory control of automated functions. However, training procedures other than simple practice may be necessary to maximize and maintain the performance benefits associated with adaptive automation.