The growing prevalence and scope of automation is evident not only large-scale infrastructure (nextGen transportation systems, aircraft flight management systems, smart grid technologies), but also in small-scale and consumer products (Google Car, the PR2, Nest). Automation encompasses not only simple, repetitive tasks, but also many sophisticated functionalities. However, even in systems in which automation has replaced functionality previously performed by humans, the human is still a central player. As automation becomes “smarter” and more ubiquitous, it is paramount that the human interact with the controlled systems in a safe and efficient way, to help prevent problems in human-automation interaction. In recent years, advances have been made in understanding the behavior of systems with humans and automation: techniques have been developed to enhance situational awareness, to develop a common operating picture across multiple users, and to build predictive models of human behavior in different contexts. However, significant work remains to be done in the development of core scientific and engineering principles in human-automation systems. Analysis and design principles and metrics are needed to guide the design of human-centered control paradigms for semi-autonomous systems. The central heme of the proposed special issue is tools and methods for the design and analysis of human-centered automation systems. Articles in the special issue will focus on generalizable techniques for human-centered automation, as opposed to narrow case studies. Applications may be within or across a wide range of disciplines and physical scales, including biomedical devices, driver assistance systems, aircraft flight management systems, smart buildings, decision aids in supervisory systems, air traffic systems, and others.
