Make Me Autonomous when I Fly: A Systems Engineering Quest and Pilots’ Paradise

摘要

How systems engineering practices may bring humanrncognition into the focus of advanced technologyrnaviation system designs. This includes generatingrncognitive qualitative and quantitative requirements,rnas both functional and performance designrnrequirements, early in the system conceptual designrnphase based on Technical Performance Measuresrn(TPMs). Cognitive TPMs must be formulated andrnassigned high priorities to ensure they are not lost orrncompromised during conceptual phase trade-offs.rnOtherwise, economic factors will drive automationrnthat may consequently leave the pilot out of the loop.rnTo prepare for the early design phases, systemsrnengineers (SEs) must come to understand the pilotrnenvironment and pilot behavior in that environment.rnThe customer’s need, and SE purpose, is to optimizernpilot situational awareness. Cockpit system designsrnmust satisfy customer and user expectations. This isrnaccomplished by ensuring pilot psychomotor andrncognitive skills are kept intact and by monitoring forrnappropriate pilot workload during all phases of flight.rnAutomated pilot assistants or intelligent agents mayrnchange how pilots fly but they do not change thernpilot’s underlying cognitive and physical make-up.rnTherefore, such agents must be able to track andrnanticipate a pilot’s behavior, assess the flight/missionrnsituation, and provide advice in real time. The SErngoal is to acquire good communications andrnteamwork, thus reducing pilot errors and ensuring arnhealthy crew. Language is a key problem-solvingrntool for humans, lending itself readily for pilotrnadaptation to advanced cockpit technologyrnincorporating voice recognition. All pilot tools are anrnextension of the pilot’s consciousness; the pilotrnactually thinks with them. Therefore, automatedrnadvice must be designed such that the pilot feels thernassistant is present in real time.