Publications
2003
-
Lanzi, P., Marti, P., Battino, P., Pozzi, S.,
Pre-Operational Validation in Safety Critical Environments: the Challenge of Advanced Shadow Mode Trials.
In Van der Veer, G., Hoorn, J. (eds.) "Cognition and Collaboration - Distributed Cognition in Complex Processes", Proceedings CSAPC 2003, 9th European Conference on Cognitive Sciences Approaches to Process Control, pag. 129-136, 16-19 September , 2003, Amsterdam (The Netherlands): ACM Press.This paper presents a new approach to the validation of preoperational ystems in safety critical environments, based on Advanced Shadow Mode Trials.
Shadow-mode is a technique for validating pre-operational prototypes in real work settings.In Air Traffic Control (ATC), the technique is usually implemented using a prototype system that is fed with live data from the environment (e.g. radar and other data), but that is not actually used to control or influence the live traffic. The prototype is operated by an off-duty controller or other trial staff and measurements and observations are recorded for the following off-line analysis. However, recently the level of use of the prototype has been varied depending on the maturity and reliability of the prototype itself and the objective of the validation. In the paper, we discuss a new application of the technique in which the traffic is entirely managed by the trial team using the prototype system whilst operational controllers work in parallel as back-up unit.
Keywords: Validation, Shadow Mode Trials, Air Traffic Control, Safety
Critical Environments, Medium Term Conflict Detection. -
Marti, P., Moderini, C.,
A medieval triptych, cameos and books, innovative concepts for future ATM scenarios
Fifth EUROCONTROL / FAA ATM R&D SEMINAR, ATM 2003, Budapest, June 2003.
The work presented in this paper is an early and far term research sponsored by Eurocontrol HD within the CARE Innovative Action Programme. It presents innovative concepts for future ATM scenarios that have been developed applying CREA!, a methodology for creative design in complex systems. CREA! is based on the idea that original and innovative outcomes are not accidental but can be generated as the product of a collaborative social process of co-construction of knowledge and meaning negotiation within multidisciplinary teams.
CREA! sustains an approach to innovation that overcomes problem solving and integrates methods and best practices borrowed from artistic domains. In the paper we illustrate the methodology and then present in detail a number of innovative concepts/tools for future ATM scenarios developed applying CREA!. -
Marti, P., Scrivani, P.,
The representation of context in the simulation of complex systems,
Cognitive Technologies, vol.8, n.1, spring 2003, pp. 32-42.This paper moves from the recognition of the importance of the role of context in determining human action. By context we mean social and cultural properties of an environment as defined by Activity Theory (Kaptelinin, 1996). According to Activity Theory, human beings live in an environment that is meaningful in itself. his environment consists of entities that combine all kinds of objective features, including the culturally determined ones, which, in turn, determine the way people act on these entities.This notion of context is fundamental for understanding the role of artefacts in mediating human action. In the paper, we adopt the Activity Theory framework to reflect upon how to represent "the context" for assessing the impact of new technologies in complex systems like the Air Traffic Control (ATC). Nowadays, the validation of such technologies is mostly performed through the simulation of the operational environment, where controllers perform their activity as if they were in a real situation. In the paper, we describe an experience we made simulating the activity of an air traffic control tower in managing aerodrome traffic. The simulation was carried out using structured scenarios to represent activities really observed in the control tower and adapted to fit the context of simulation (more advanced control tools, subset of controllers working together).
These scenarios offered a valid contribution toward the representation of the context in complex systems like ATC. They successfully contributed to recreate realistic situations where the system components were subject tothe full variability of input data and situations that may occur in the real world.
Through the description and discussion of the case study, we argue that social and cultural properties of the context need to be represented and analysed, as well as the physical and cognitive aspects of the humans ystem interaction. The analysis of these properties can be beneficial in particular for assessing the impact of the introduction of new technology or the application of new operational concepts on safety. -
Pasquini, A., Pozzi, S.,
Safety assessment of experimental Air Traffic management procedures.
in Anderson, S., Felici, M., & Littlewood, B., Lecture Notes in Computer Science - Computer Safety, Reliability, and Security. Proceedings of the 22nd International Conference SAFECOMP 2003, Publisher: Springer Berlin / Heidelberg pag. 354-367.This paper presents and discusses the application of safety assessment methodologies to a pre-operational roject in the Air Traffic Control field. In the case analysed in the present paper a peculiar aspect was thenecessity to effectively assess new operational procedures and tools. In particular we exploited an integrated methodology to evaluate computer-based applications and their interactions with the operational environment.Current ATC safety practices, methodologies, guidelines and standards were critically revised, in order to identify how they could be applied to the project under consideration. Thus specific problematic areas for the safetyassessment in a pre-operational experimental project are highlighted and, on the basis of theoretical principles, some possible solutions taken into consideration. The latter are described highlighting the rationale of mostrelevant decisions, in order to provide guidance for generalisation or re-use. Keywords: Safety Assessment, Air Traffic Management, Human-Computer Interaction.
-
Nicholls, D., Battino, P., Marti, P., Pozzi, S.,
Presenting Uncertainty to Controllers and Pilots
Proceedings of the 5th International seminar on ATM R&D, FAA and Eurocontrol, Budapest, 2003.
Much of the information used in air traffic management (ATM) is inherently uncertain, most obviously where it involves predictions of future system states. The main approach to this uncertainty has been to reduce it at source, by developing more accurate and reliable tools and by standardizing operating procedures. However, this approach may not be sustainable or optimal as new ATM concepts, with increased reliance on predicted information, are introduced - there may be situations in which presenting the uncertainty to users provides greater safety and operational benefits.
This paper describes the findings, to the end of 2002, of a study performed under the CARE Innovative Action initiative of Eurocontrol. The study asks where, and if so how uncertainty could usefully be presented. To provide a practical context for these questions, three controller tools have been considered as case studies: the Tactical Load Smoother (TLS), Medium Term Conflict Detection (MTCD) and the Conflict Resolution Adviser (CORA). The study has identified a number of scenarios in which presentation of uncertainty could be helpful, and has envisioned, at a high level, some solutions by which this could be achieved. The next stage of work will develop more concrete visualizations for further evaluation.
The paper also discusses lessons learned with regard to the design process that could have applications beyond the case study tools, and so point towards guidance on the topic of uncertainty presentation in general.