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Automation strategies in five domains - A comparison of levels of automation, function allocation and visualisation of automatic functions

Abstract

This study was conducted as a field study where control room operators and engineers from the refinery, heat and power, aviation, shipping and nuclear domain were interviewed regarding use of automation and the visualisation of automatic functions. The purpose of the study was to collect experiences and best practices from the five studied domains on levels of automation, function allocation and visualisation of automatic functions. In total, nine different control room settings were visited. The studied settings were compared using a systemic approach based on a human-machine systems model. The results show that the 'left over principle' is still the most common applied approach for function allocation but in high risk settings the decision whether to automate or not is more carefully considered. Regarding the visualisation of automatic functions, it was found that as long as each display type (process based, functional oriented, situation oriented and task based) are applied so that they correspond to the same level of abstraction as the technical system the operator's mental model will be supported. No single display type can however readily match all levels of abstraction at the same time - all display types are still needed and serve different purposes. (Author)
Authors:
Andersson, J [1] 
  1. Chalmers Univ. of Technology. Division Design and Human factors. Dept. of Product and Production Development, Goeteborg (Sweden)
Publication Date:
Jan 15, 2011
Product Type:
Technical Report
Report Number:
NKS-237
Resource Relation:
Other Information: NKS-R-AUTOSTRAT; 7 ills., 6 tabs., 15 refs.
Subject:
22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS; 42 ENGINEERING; CONTROL ROOMS; AUTOMATION; MAN-MACHINE SYSTEMS; HUMAN FACTORS
OSTI ID:
1008042
Research Organizations:
Nordisk Kernesikkerhedsforskning, Roskilde (Denmark)
Country of Origin:
Denmark
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISBN 978-87-7893-309-6; TRN: DK1102015
Availability:
Also available at http://www.risoe.dtu.dk/rispubl/NKS/NKS-237.pdf; OSTI as DE01008042
Submitting Site:
DKN
Size:
40 p. pages
Announcement Date:
Mar 14, 2011

Citation Formats

Andersson, J. Automation strategies in five domains - A comparison of levels of automation, function allocation and visualisation of automatic functions. Denmark: N. p., 2011. Web.
Andersson, J. Automation strategies in five domains - A comparison of levels of automation, function allocation and visualisation of automatic functions. Denmark.
Andersson, J. 2011. "Automation strategies in five domains - A comparison of levels of automation, function allocation and visualisation of automatic functions." Denmark.
@misc{etde_1008042,
title = {Automation strategies in five domains - A comparison of levels of automation, function allocation and visualisation of automatic functions}
author = {Andersson, J}
abstractNote = {This study was conducted as a field study where control room operators and engineers from the refinery, heat and power, aviation, shipping and nuclear domain were interviewed regarding use of automation and the visualisation of automatic functions. The purpose of the study was to collect experiences and best practices from the five studied domains on levels of automation, function allocation and visualisation of automatic functions. In total, nine different control room settings were visited. The studied settings were compared using a systemic approach based on a human-machine systems model. The results show that the 'left over principle' is still the most common applied approach for function allocation but in high risk settings the decision whether to automate or not is more carefully considered. Regarding the visualisation of automatic functions, it was found that as long as each display type (process based, functional oriented, situation oriented and task based) are applied so that they correspond to the same level of abstraction as the technical system the operator's mental model will be supported. No single display type can however readily match all levels of abstraction at the same time - all display types are still needed and serve different purposes. (Author)}
place = {Denmark}
year = {2011}
month = {Jan}
}