Defense Intelligence Reference Document Cognitive Limits On Simultaneous Control Of Multiple Unmanned Spacecraft

UNCLASSIFIED/ ,'F811. 8FFll!l*L 1!1!11! l!IIU:!Y
Chapter 5: Discussion
We have insight into the maximum number of tracked objects in a multiple space
vehicle piloting experiment: it depends greatly on the complexity of the piloting and
mission tasks. Brookings showed that in the ATC task, mild complexity affected
performance even for a little as six planes being tracked by professional controllers,
whereas these controllers regularly track up to ten. Ruff showed that when there is
uncertainty in the augmentation system, a maximum of four craft can be controlled and
tasked to complete missions. The number of four is consistent with standard estimates
of human working memory being able to handle three to five disparate objects at a
time. This implies that disparate, complex interfaces require resources from working
memory to prevent loss of the big picture.
Augmentation of the human capabilities mainly appears to be helping to maintain a
higher number of working memory registers. Whether it is the handwritten blocks for
the ATCs, the stored instructions for the Dixon study, or the dual displays of Cummings,
the most effective augmentations in the studies above hold information for quick visual
retrieval that the brain would otherwise keep in working memory.
Any external automation system to assist the operator in making decisions will have an
associated error rate. It was also shown in the ATC and piloting tasks that alerts need
to contain a level of noise (false alarms) of 20-25% to avoid automation bias.
Regarding where the future of this work is headed, it is certain that the field is just
getting started. Apollo spacecraft required dozens of ground operators to monitor for
system failures, and just a few years ago it required two soldiers to operate a simple
reconnaissance drone (most of them still do). It is fortunate that ATC and UAV control
appear to be extremely applicable to the initial direction of remote space vehicle
operations. The 5-year timeframe should see spacecraft-specific simulator studies begin
to appear in major peer-reviewed journals.
The major advance to come in developing augmented human capability to pilot multiple
spacecraft will be in understanding the cognitive organization of multitasking. With
brain imaging it has been shown that multiple resource theory seems to follow the
anatomical organization of the brain. In the next 40 years we will find out why the
functional studies in multiple task completion don't seem to follow the predictions of
multiple resource theory.
22
UNCLASSIFIED//F81it 8FFIIIAI!: 1!181! &••1::Y