89 CHAPTER 2 Human-Automation Interaction By Thomas B. Sheridan & Raja Parasuraman Automation does not mean humans are replaced; quite the opposite. Increasingly, humans are asked to interact with automation in complex and typically large-scale systems, including aircraft and air traffic control, nuclear power, manufacturing plants, military systems, homes, and hospitals. This is not an easy or error-free task for either the system designer or the human operator/automation supervisor, especially as computer technol- ogy becomes ever more sophisticated. This review outlines recent research and challenges in the area, including taxonomies and qualitative models of human-automation interac- tion; descriptions of automation-related accidents and studies of adaptive automation; and social, political, and ethical issues. T he technological revolution ushered in by the computer has dramatically affected many aspects of human activity—at work and at home, during travel, and while engaged in leisure pursuits. Even more radical changes are anticipated in the next decade as computers decrease in size and cost and increase in power, speed, and “intelligence.” These factors are responsible for much of the drive toward increased automa- tion in the workplace and elsewhere. The economic benefits that automation can provide (or is perceived to offer) has motivated considerable research and development on the technical capabilities of automation, which have been amply documented in such diverse domains as aviation; manufacturing; medicine; road, rail, and maritime transportation; robotics; home and entertainment devices; and numerous others. Humans work with or are consumers of all these technolo- gies. Consequently, understanding how human characteristics and limitations influ- ence the use (or misuse) of automation and using such knowledge to better the design of automated systems have been the focus of considerable research over the past two decades (Bainbridge, 1983; Billings, 1997; Jamieson & Vicente, 2005; Para- suraman & Mouloua, 1996; Parasuraman & Riley, 1997; Rasmussen, 1986; Sarter, Woods & Billings, 1997; Sheridan, 1992a, 2002; Wickens & Hollands, 2000; E. L. Wiener & Curry, 1980). In this chapter we discuss research on humans and automation. We do not pro- vide a comprehensive review of the field but describe recent and seminal work on the topic. We begin by defining automation and describe taxonomies and qualitative models of human-automation interaction, including the supervisory control model, function allocation, and the concept of human-centered automation. We then discuss 02_hfes_089_129_ch02 6/24/06 12:40 AM Page 89