This book on the ergonomics of man-machine systems is aimed at engineers specializing in informatics, automation, production or robotics, and who are confronted with an important dilemma during the conception of man-machine systems:

– on the one hand, the human operator guarantees the reliability of the system and he has been known to salvage numerous critical situation through an ability for reason in unplanned, imprecise and uncertain situations;

– on the other hand, the human operator can be unpredictable and create disturbances in the automated system.

The first part is dedicated to the methods of human centered design, from three points of view:

– Chapter 1 presents the models of the human automator and bases itself on functional models to explain human behavior in his environment. To attempt to resolve the apparent ambiguity of the role of the operator, this chapter also covers the mastering of the Situation Awareness of operators,

– Chapter 2 develops models of cognitive psychology and proposes a methodology of design derived from the works of Rasmussen and Vicente called Cognitive Work Analysis

– Chapter 3 can be situated in the domain of automobile driving, which unfortunately is the victim of numerous real accidents. The approach the authors use is to analyze these cases to deduce the need for adjustments or assistance tools for the design of new vehicles and the improvement of infrastructure.

The second part develops the methods of evaluation of the man-machine systems:

− Chapter 4 evaluates the activity of the human operator at work using methods of automatic classification to define different classes of behavior. The methods are illustrated by experimental examples obtained in a automobile driving simulator during studies on the detection of hypo-vigilance;

Chapter 5 presents the methods based on the analysis of human error that are inspired by and adapt methods of analysis of technical reliability and which in a sense form the dual approach of modeling methods of “normal” human behavior.

Finally, the third part is dedicated to man-machine cooperation through four supplementary chapters.

− Chapter 6 contributes to the know-how of the cooperative agent. It develops the causal reasoning that permits man-machine cooperation by creating tools founded on artificial intelligence (AI), help for the operator in the control room confronted with situations requiring complex decisions.;

− Chapter 7 contributes to the functional aspects of cooperation. In particular, it presents the models of cooperative activity, the concept of the common reference and draws up the lessons for the design of the cooperative man-machine systems.

− Chapter 8 describes the development of the man-machine cooperation through the definition of the cooperative structures and by the definition of the cooperative forms between man and machine and the implication that they have on human activities.

− Finally, the last chapter pushes the notion of the dynamic sharing of tasks or function to the man-machine cooperation by integrating two dimensions: the structural and organizational dimension and the functional dimension linked to the know-how of the human and automated agents, but also (and especially) their cooperative knowledge.

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