Efficient Human-Machine Co-operation by Means of Cognitive Automation

In the development of uninhabited aerial vehicles (UAVs) oftentimes the focus is upon the enhancement of the vehicle and its automated functions. In fact, the aspects related to human-machine-interaction are mostly neglected. An unmanned vehicle should not be mistaken for an unmanned system with a human operator, although not being aboard. From accident analysis in civil air transport human factor problems resulting from too complex automation are well documented for a long time. Starting from a more human-centered perspective, this contribution describes the approach of cognitive and co-operative automation in order to mitigate such problems by establishing a close-partner work relationship between human operators and automated functions. First applications have already been developed and provide prove of concept.