Abstract
Automation promises increased operating efficiency and suggests the opportunity to reduce the number of people required to operate commercial ships safely; however, clumsy automation may degrade safety and performance, rather than enhance it. This paper distinguishes between clumsy automation at the macro level and clumsy automation at the micro level and discusses macro level issues. Specifically, macro level clumsy automation refers to the failure to consider the broad implications of automation induced crew reductions. Clumsy automation may reduce workload and facilitate crew reductions during routine sailing, but these crew reductions may leave the vessel more vulnerable to unacceptable workload peaks during unusual and emergency situations (fires, unscheduled maintenance, rough seas, reduced visibility). In these situations, tasks not accommodated by the automation may overwhelm a crew that has been reduced by the introduction of automation. Currently, no systematic procedure exists to estimate the changes that automation implies for staffing levels and skill requirements. Avoiding the effects of clumsy automation depends on identifying techniques to broaden the study of automation to include the effects on the entire crew during all phases of ship operation. This paper describes a computer-based tool to help identify potential overload situations that would be difficult to anticipate through intuitive assessments of how automation and other factors affect crew requirements.
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