Crew System Dynamics: Combining Humans and Automation 891530
With the advent of Space Station Freedom, manned spaceflight will begin to rely heavily on automated or “intelligent” systems. During the last few years there has been a growing realization that the effective use of automated systems requires careful attention to how well these systems mesh with, support, and are supported by, users. This paper considers some of the human factors issues involved in effectively combining human and automated systems. The possibilities and potential problems attendant to the use of automated systems are discussed as are the unique capabilities and possible errors introduced by human participants. Because of the total environment of space and the close coupling of humans and machines in the space environment, it is necessary to look beyond the individual user and to view human/automation interactions from the perspective of the total system, i.e. from the perspective of crew system dynamics.