Research has demonstrated that workload and past machine performance influences operator allocation of task responsibilities to machines. We extended past investigations by offering task operators the opportunity to relinquish task control to a robotic entity. Forty-three participants navigated a remotely controlled vehicle around a prescribed course under conditions of low or high time pressure. While navigating, they could allocate camera monitoring to a low-or high-reliability automated agent. Results showed most participants retained control of the camera; others relinquished control immediately. Time pressure and reliability did not interact to influence task performance. Course navigation time was faster under high time pressure but errors were unaffected. Bivariate correlations revealed a positive relation between self-ratings of robotic expertise and pressure to perform, and between pressure to perform and errors committed during navigation. These results demonstrate low levels of trust in the robotic camera and comparative sensitivity of navigation time to time pressure.

Controlling and monitoring unmanned vehicles is a cognitively demanding task, particularly when searching environments for potential improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Due to the diversity of methods used to construct IEDs, unreliable information about the potential for harm may be provided to operators. Also, warfighters may search environments that are sparsely or heavily populated. Few researchers have manipulated information reliability and task criticality jointly, though these constructs often co-vary in real task situations such as IED search. Sixteen undergraduate students navigated an unmanned ground vehicle around a demarcated course and made object investigation decisions. Participants searched the environment under conditions of low and high criticality and encountered objects accompanied by low or high reliability warnings. Results showed that criticality and reliability individually and jointly impacted reaction time and navigation errors. The reported findings generally support our hypotheses and suggest additional work is necessary to replicate such effects with active duty personnel.

Early identification of patients with sepsis is key to the delivery of the sepsis 6 bundle including antibiotic therapy within an hour.[1-3] Demand versus capacity challenges in the Emergency Department (ED) led to delays in antibiotic and sepsis 6 delivery. An alerting tool was developed that provided criteria for Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) Paramedics to alert the ED of potential sepsis patients.Data from patients presenting to the ED prior to the alerting process commencing (n=50) and during alerting (n=50) were analysed, a questionnaire was used to ascertain feedback from all staff groups; nurses doctors, and paramedics (n=38). Mean Time to triage improved by 82% from 17 minutes to 3 minutes (p=0.01), time to first antibiotic improved by 39% from 49 minutes to 30 minutes. Overall 78% of patients received antibiotics within an hour of leaving their home; no significant increase in workload was reported by staff.In conclusion alerting by paramedics of potential sepsis patients reduced the time taken to deliver the Sepsis 6 Bundle. Process reliability has been sustained over several months. This process has been spread to seven regional ambulance stations in Lanarkshire Scotland.

Recent technological developments in motion tracking technology have lowered the price of motioncapture devices to the extent that nearly anyone can accurately model the dimensions and movement of the human body. The system described herein was the result of an attempt to capitalize on the aforementioned low-cost motion-capture technology to develop an accurate human-robot interface which relies on translating natural forelimb movement into servo actuation commands to control a robotic arm. Given that most endeavors into robotics are interdisciplinary, this work incorporates input from electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, and human-robot interface design. This system was specifically designed, in cooperation with NASA, to be used by an operator in a low-gravity environment, but the number of possible applications are substantial. These applications include, but are not limited to, military explosive ordnance disposal, remote maintenance in hostile environments, and safe exploration into hazardous environments.

Western society continues to become increasingly technological and, by extension, automated. It should come as no surprise, then, that researchers have devoted a considerable amount of time and effort to identifying and understanding psychological constructs, such as cognitive workload and trust, as they apply to the relationship between human and machine, especially in the military domain. The current research seeks to expand on past work by considering the joint influence of workload and system reliability on operator trust, as well as performance, as measured by accuracy in identifying a target stimulus, reaction time, and situation awareness. Results suggested that task workload had a significant impact on all measured aspects of operator performance, but not trust in the automated system. Surprisingly, system reliability had no statistical effect on operator performance or measured trust.