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Abstract

The performance of complex systems, such as power plants and commercial aircraft, is based on the integration of human, software, and hardware elements. They are designed to operate safely under normal and disturbance conditions. Ideally one would validate that safety and productivity goals can be achieved prior to actual operation. While some types of systems can be tested in actual operational environments, validation is especially difficult when safety or economic considerations preclude testing the types of disturbance conditions that the integrated system is designed to handle. Thus the conceptual and methodological challenges to validating such systems are significant and new approaches are emerging. The papers in this symposium will describe approaches taken to validation using examples from commercial nuclear power, civil aviation, military, and medical systems.

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Perspectives on Validating Complex Human-Machine System Performance

Abstract

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