1Several developments in the technologies supporting air traffic management (ATM) such as digital communication and improved positioning accuracy for aircraft, have enabled consideration of new organizational and functional operations. One such consideration is a modification of the standard air traffic control team to include a mutli-sector planner (MSP) position. This MSP is being investigated in several research and field studies both in Europe and in the U.S. The feasibility and effectiveness of two of these concept variations was investigated in the current study. The experiment consisted of a pair of one-week human-n-the-loop studies in which the two concepts (Multi-D, in which multiple R-sides are supported by a single D side, and Area Flow, in which the MSP manages flow through their target sector by coordinating with adjacent MSPS., were tested separately with two different 5-person teams, A baseline condition which assumed traditional radar-data roles but with access to advanced decision support tools was also run. Overall, the data suggest feasibility of both variations in the MSP. Workload was manageable for the MSP operations. Area flow operations were found to coordinated with advanced air traffic operations concepts and were shown to be acceptable to the controllers (both R and D side)> Advanced Airspace ConceptsThere are an expanding number and variation of airspace operational concepts that are under development and prototype implementation in the US and Europe sponsored by the international programmes: One EATM, SESAR, Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) As a result there is increasingly urgent need for a methodology to evaluate the concepts and their 1 The work reported here was supported by Federal Aviation Administration ATO -Ops Planning Systems Engineering variations, as they operate not only in isolation but also in conjunction with other developing concepts and in a manner consistent with the over all system development runtime and resource process. The visions assert new modes of operation and technological requirements. Essentially without exception these technologies fundamentally change the process of the work of air traffic and air space management.The "advancements" include a redistribution of information and control among the humans and the automation systems in airspace operations that alters decision modes, execution modes and optimization processes among all participants in the aerospace transportation process. We feel that the changes in the work of air transportation operations require an approach to analysis that includes concern for the change in the cognitive processes that supports the work in context.The work described here provides a method that comprehensively deals with the assessment of the operational feasibility of concept elements, embeds these in a larger system operational assessment and explicitly concerns itself with transition to the human and system as these operational services are provided. We apply this method to a common "next st...
An understanding of the complexity factors that affect controller workload under higher levels of automation for conflict detection and resolution and under higher traffic densities is critical for future operations. This paper examines traffic complexity variables under higher levels of automation where the human controller is still in the loop, but is being supported by advanced conflict detection and resolution automation. The study involved two conflict resolution automation modes (i.e., trial-planning automation and advisory automation) and three traffic densities (i.e., 1X, 2X and 3X). The results indicate that under the 1X traffic condition, controller workload was the lowest with advanced levels of automation. The complexity and workload increased progressively for the 2X and 3X traffic conditions. Results also showed that several variables such as horizontal proximity, aircraft density, separation criticality index, and two degrees of freedom indices appear to be relevant complexity measures for higher traffic densities. The degrees of freedom index for aircraft in conflict appears to be a relevant measure for higher levels of automation. Regression results show that automation resolution mode, number of aircraft, number of conflicts, separation criticality index, and degrees of freedom for aircraft in conflict represent complexity and correlate with controller workload under higher densities.C ontroller workload is the main factor limiting en route airspace capacity. One of the key factors contributing to controller workload is conflict detection and resolution activity. Higher levels of automation for conflict detection and resolution are being investigated to reduce the controller workload and increase en route capacity. These levels include conflicts being detected by automation and three levels of automation for conflict resolution. Under the first level of automation for conflict resolution, the controller resolves conflicts using an automated trial planning capability. [1][2][3] Under the second level, the automation suggests resolution to the controller, and under the third level the automation also resolves the conflicts. It is anticipated that the controller workload will reduce under the higher levels of automation. However, there have been no studies thus far to identify the complexity variables that will contribute to the controller workload under the first and second automation options. Under the third level, the role of controller is somewhat unclear and largely reduced to monitoring. The complexity factors applicable under the first and second automation levels are not understood. The study reported in this paper focuses on the first two automation options.Multiple studies have been conducted to measure and predict controller workload under current operations. Controller workload is subjective and is an effect of air traffic complexity. A number of complexity factors affect
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