HUMAN INTERACTION WITH COMPLEX-SYSTEMS - DESIGN ISSUES AND RESEARCH APPROACHES

The premise of this special issue is that design, which consciously an d purposefully supports human interaction with complex systems, rather than simply the use of new technology at the human-system interface, is a critical issue for the research community, As the roles of the hu man operators in such systems change, the challenge is how to effectiv ely design human-system interaction in ways that enhance human perform ance and compensate for human limitations. The rapid and widespread pr oliferation of new technologies in complex systems changes operator ro les and thus, to a certain extent, changes the design issues that must be addressed and the range of potential solutions, This special issue explores a set of design challenges which includes the changing opera tor roles in complex systems, characteristics of and structures for mo dels that reflect these roles, and the design of technological artifac ts intended to help ameliorate negative side-effects of increased use of technology throughout such systems, Artifacts include operator work stations, aids, and computer-based training systems.