HUMAN SOFTWARE AND MACHINE INTERACTION NEEDS

The new functions will be implemented on a larger scale successively after extensive testing at different sites. A common issue for success is that the operators understand and accept the functions. This means that the functions must be robust and reliable, and tuning and maintenance also must be easy to do by the operator themselves, automated, or applied from remote by experts from the supplier, or a combination of these in a structured, well-defined way.

To make the functions understandable they need to be explained in a visual way with intuitive graphics and text support. How to do this is a key task for success. Researchers at universities, in industry, and at the suppliers have to cooperate in dif­ferent ways by developing ideas and then test how these are accepted by the opera­tors. We also need good documentation and help functions for the engineers who support the functions. It is not self-evident that they will easily understand complex functions, and especially not some time after the functions were developed.

So as a conclusion, this development work needs to be performed as a comple­ment to the function development. If it is successful, we can foresee a strong impact on the profitability of the industry—which, of course, is the major driving force for the development.

Updated: October 11, 2015 — 5:14 pm