Supervisory Control: Problems, Theory and Experiment for Application to Human-Computer Interaction in Undersea Remote Systems

摘要

This technical report provides an overview of a four-year theoretical and experimental research project on human-computer cooperation in remote control of undersea manipulators and vehicles. The report puts forth a theoretical framework for viewing supervisory control in terms of a hierarchical interaction of three fundamentally different types of control loops: (1) interaction of a human supervisor with a high level computer; (2) interaction between the high level and one or more low level computers; and (3) interaction of the low level computers with the environment as mediated through artificial sensors and effectors. The perspective is one of coordinated allocation of human and artificial resources to various functions at various levels and times within given tasks. Numerous problems are discussed in conjunction with human and computer cognition, display, command and control, matching capabilities to tasks and evaluation aspects. Experiments performed in our laboratory on human supervisory control of remote undersea manipulators, vehicles and dynamic processes are reviewed briefly in relation to the theoretical constructs. These draw upon already published detailed reports of each experiment. (Author)