Visual attention allocation between robotic arm and environmental process control: validating the STOM task switching model. (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wickens, Christopher; Vieanne, Alex; Clegg, Benjamin; Sebok, Angelia; Janes, Jessica
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ... Annual Meeting. Volume 59:Part 1(2015)
• Page Start: 617
• Page End: 621
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: Human engineering -- Congresses; 620.8205
• DOI: 10.1177/1541931215591135
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1541-9312

Abstract

Fifty six participants time shared a spacecraft environmental control system task with a realistic space robotic arm control task in either a manual or highly automated version, The former could suffer minor failures, whose diagnosis and repair were supported by a decision aid. At the end of the experiment this decision aid unexpectedly failed. We measured visual attention allocation and switching between the two tasks, in each of the eight conditions formed by manual-automated arm X expected-unexpected failure X monitoring- failure management. We also used our multi-attribute task switching model, based on task attributes of priority interest, difficulty and salience that were self-rated by participants, to predict allocation. An unweighted model based on attributes of difficulty, interest and salience accounted for 96% of the task allocation variance across the 8 different conditions. Task difficulty served as an attractor, with more difficult tasks increasing the tendency to stay on task.