The role of multimodal communication in cooperation: The cases of air traffic control

Abstract

In the field of air traffic control, the rapid increase of demands leads to considering major technological improvements. Our research takes place in the context of a global program aiming at the design and validation of cooperative tools for en route air traffic controllers; this program, called ERATO (En Route Air Traffic Organizer), is based on a specific approach starting from the identification of users' requirements on the design and validation of the set of decision aids.This chapter concerns the analysis of user requirements; we will question the traditional theoretical framework of information exchange for the study of communication between human agents, and examine some of the methodological issues arising in the analysis of multimodal communication. One challenge is to identify the mechanisms of cooperation responsible for the efficiency of a team of controllers, and to decide what support tools may have a positive effect on the cooperation between human agents.The results that we will present concern the analysis of communication in the situation of control (reproduced in dynamic simulations); our aim was to identify the part played by multimodal resources in informal communication mechanisms which could be modified or changed by the introduction of a new technological environment. The results emphasize the impact of the verbal and non-verbal resources, used in an opportunistic way by team members, on the efficiency of the communication, especially with respect to the need to reduce the risks of miscommunication. Some of the implications are discussed for a general design method based on an assessment of the multimodal wealth of the working environment.KeywordsHuman AgentEnvironmental ResourceMutual UnderstandingMultimodal CommunicationCognitive EnvironmentThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.