A Direct Perception Display for Rule-Based Behavior: Supporting Power Plant Startup with a “Lattice” Display

Abstract

Research over the last decade on interface design has suggested that “configural” or “direct perception” displays provide better support for complex operator tasks than single-sensor single-indicator displays. In this paper we focus on the development of displays to support the human operator role in nuclear power plant start-up procedures, which involve rule-based behavior. During start-up operators construct a functioning plant. This process can be characterized as climbing an “abstraction/aggregation hierarchy” from initiating low-level physical functions, combining them into generalized and abstract functions until the plant fulfills its functional purpose (Rasmussen, Pejtersen, & Goodstein, 1994). We introduce a graphical interface based on a visual lattice representation of the abstraction/aggregation hierarchy for nuclear power plant startup which (1) provides constant feedback through the lattice display about the level of abstraction/aggregation achieved, (2) provides feedback about system state through direct perception displays, and (3) promotes the correct sequence of actions.