ABSTRACT
Cooperation among intelligent agents is the cornerstone of human-centered automation. The overarching issue of automation complexity must guide design approaches to management automation. These issues have been discussed at length with respect to aircraft automation, but an additional requirement must be mentioned with respect to air traffic management; it applies to aircraft in the system as well. The changes proposed for the future aviation system will require more than simply software changes. Human operators will require detailed negotiations between the operating community and air traffic management system designers. The future advanced automation system has been widely espoused as a system that will minimize human errors; if it is implemented, it is more likely that it will transform them as automation has done in aircraft, foreclosing some while enabling others. When the situations exceed the capabilities of the automatic equipment, then the inadequate feedback leads to difficulties for the human controllers.
