Measuring Human-automation Function Allocation

Function allocation is the design decision which assigns work functions to all agents in a team, both human and automated. Building on a preceding paper establishing models of function allocation, this paper develops specific metrics of function allocation that can be derived from such models as well as from observations in high-fidelity human-in-the-loop simulations or real operations. These metrics span eight issues with function allocation identified in a review of several domains: workload, stability of the work environment, mismatches between responsibility and authority, incoherency in function allocations, interruptive automation, automations boundary conditions, function allocations limiting human adaptation to context, and mission performance. Trade-offs may exist between these metrics, and they need to be examined collectively to identify potential trade-offs or conflicts between them. This paper continues the example given in the previous paper of function allocation in an air transport flightdeck in the approach and arrival phases of flight.