Real-Time Level of Autonomy Adaptation for Human-Machine-Interaction Based on the Reaction Time

A generic system model and a control scheme for the real-time adaptation of autonomy level for Human-Machine-Interaction are proposed. The topology of the system is based on a recursive nested behaviour-based control structure, which is an abstraction of multiple cascaded control loops. The technical system and its operator are modelled symmetrically as dynamical system components, which are decomposed into behavioural levels with different reaction times. Comparing the human behaviour with the behaviour realization of the technical system on the higher levels, a human reference model can be identified. Due to the simple structure of the reference model, the user characteristics can be observed in real-time. According to the system structure, a scheme is developed for the adaptation of the autonomy level in real-time based on the individual characteristics. As a result, guide-lines are provided for the dependable design of interfaces between the human operator and the technical system.