Attention, Workload, and Automation

Discussion of the effects of automation in air traffic control requires an understanding of automation, the air traffic control environment, and the human operator. Without an understanding of what automation can and cannot do, it is impossible to know how it will affect the work environment. Likewise, without a clear understanding of the tasks, jobs, and goals of air traffic control, one can neither determine whether automation is appropriate nor comprehend the effects that automation will have on the work. It also requires an understanding of human abilities and limitations, preferences and biases, perceptions and cognitions. But without understanding automation and the air traffic control task, an expert in human performance can, at best, provide only vague predictions and generic warnings about how the human operator will respond to automation in air traffic control.