Human-centered Design of Human-machine Systems and Examples from Air Transport

Abstract This paper discusses the importance of appropriate design of automation technology. Such design is not orientated at technology and the vision of full automation which appears less and less achievable for environments with a high degree of uncertainty. Instead, it puts the emphasis on the human in the system. The paper proposes the human-centered design philosophy as an appropriate approach and as part of a new paradigm. It outlines the origins and development of this design philosophy and its core prinicples. Following this, the human-centered philosophy is applied to commercial air transport and described in more detail for flight deck design