ABSTRACT

As a result of technological advances, enormous amounts of data can be made available to operators. Unfortunately, the ability of technology to provide data surpasses the human’s ability to effectively process the information. This divergence creates a significant information gap between the data that is available and that which is needed, limited by the human’s ability to sort through and make sense of the data, particularly when it changes rapidly in dynamic systems. Simultaneously, technological advances have put at the fingertips of system designers an almost infinite number of possibilities for presenting data. However, taking full advantage of all that is offered by technology is often difficult. The mere existence of so many options can end up making the system designer’s job more difficult. Which among the vast quantities of data is the information that the operator needs? What is the best way to present that information to the operator to maximize performance and minimize frustration? How should the information be organized and what should be emphasized?