Analysis and improvement of human-machine interaction for automated functions on ships

Given the unprecedented pace of introducing automation on ships, deficiencies in human-machine interaction will have a cumulative negative effect on safety for crew members, other ships, and the environment. It is very timely to revisit, improve, further develop, and validate methods and standards for designing information visualization, interfaces and human-machine systems for both existing and advanced ships. The more advanced a control system is, the more crucial is the contribution of the operator in complex situations which are outside the range of automatic control. Physical systems, software, hardware, the changed role of humans and interfaces all together form human-machine systems that should be analysed in greater detail than in the past and should be designed in their unity.

As an example, the implementation of the ECDIS system on ships is a big technological step forward. However, a substantial number of the ECDIS related groundings clearly indicate that because of systems complexity, the large number of adjustments needed for proper use.

The development of technology and human-machine systems in the maritime sector is at large incidental and rooted in traditions rather than following the path from science to technology and further to practice. Our project will work out a roadmap to deploy research and innovation activities aimed at laying down theoretical and evidential foundation for strategic and coherent implementation of automation, so that what the potenatial technology can offer and state-of-the-art could go hand by hand in the fast-paced technological development.