Human Operator Modeling: Four Perspectives

Abstract

In recent years, increased attention to human factors issues has highlighted the need for cost effective analytic methods that permit the identification and prediction of human contributions to overall system performance. Human performance modeling and the associated need for its implementation has gained acceptance in a variety of technical areas spanning the military, the industrial community, the academic community, and Europe. Heightened awareness of the need for improved models of the human has led to the formation of a variety of special study groups including the National Science Foundation working group on human performance modeling, the tri-service technical advisory sub-TAG on military modeling, and multinational NATO panels. The forces and problems which are causing the growth in human operator models are both varied and complex. Due to the rapid changes taking place in the state of the modeling art, it is increasingly difficult to gain a comprehensive picture of where the area of human modeling is going and what the major interests of the participants are. In response to this need, the Department of Defense human factors technical advisory group has arranged to bring together a forum of experts in the modeling area to both educate and stimulate interest in the human factors community at large. Each expert represents a different constituency of human model users and needs. Each will attempt to summarize the views of their area and project future directions. Dr. Bob Hennessy (National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences) will discuss the forces driving NSF interest in human modeling from an academic research perspective. Dr. Shelly Baron (Bolt, Beranek, and Newman) will discuss from the perspective of private industry, Mr. Paul Linton (United States representative to the NATO panel on human modeling) will present a European perspective, and Commander Norman Lane will provide information on the DOD modeling emphasis. Dr. Chuck Jorgensen (panel chair) will draw on his experience with the Army MOPADS human modeling project to put a global perspective on the panel discussion and to frame questions. This presentation is designed to be an open forum and questions from the audience are encouraged.