Supporting teamwork in hybrid multi-team systems

Abstract

Multi-level human-autonomy teaming in a distributed mission context consists of multiple manned and unmanned systems that require flexible decision making authority. We introduce the notion of ‘hybrid multi-team systems’ to refer to multiple teams consisting of n-number of humans and n-number of semi-autonomous agents having interdependence relationships with each other. Based on the coactive design approach, we have developed a set of design patterns that provide team members with real-time information on interdependencies and can therefore support observability, predictability and directability of interdependencies in a hybrid team. We demonstrate the viability of the design patterns for providing observability, predictability and directability for several hybrid teams of humans and semi-autonomous agents.

Keywords:

• Human-autonomy teaming
• multi-team systems
• interdependence
• coactive design
• hybrid systems

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Jelle Wolbers and Jurriaan van Diggelen for valuable input.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Defence Exploratory Research Programme ‘Human-Autonomy Teaming’.

Notes on contributors

Jan Maarten Schraagen

Jan Maarten Schraagen is Principal Scientist at The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Department of Human-Machine Teaming, and Professor of Applied Cognitive Psychology at the University of Twente, The Netherlands. His research interests include resilience engineering, team communication processes, and human-machine teaming. He is main editor of Cognitive Task Analysis (2000) and Naturalistic Decision Making and Macrocognition (2008) and co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of Expertise (2020). He is editor in chief of the Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making and Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems. Dr. Schraagen holds a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Jonathan Sebastiaan Barnhoorn

Jonathan Sebastiaan Barnhoorn is scientist at The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Department of Human-Machine Teaming. His research interests include human-machine teaming, the design and evaluation of naval operations rooms, and virtual and augmented reality technology and applications. Dr. Barnhoorn holds a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Twente, The Netherlands (e-mail: [email protected]).

Jef van Schendel

Jef van Schendel works at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Department Human Machine Teaming, where he focuses on designing and evaluating effective, safe and enjoyable human-machine cooperation through a combination of cognitive psychology, user research and technological innovation (e-mail: [email protected]).

Willeke van Vught

Willeke van Vught works at the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO, Department Human Machine Teaming (email: [email protected]). Her research interests include human-machine teaming, human-centered AI and requirement engineering. She has experience in working in projects with end users and projects within different domains such as Defense, first responders, healthcare, automotive and industry.