Human-Autonomy Teaming in Ship Inspection: Psychological Perspectives on the Collaboration Between Humans and Self-Governing Systems

Abstract

AbstractFor decades, work psychologists have studied the automation of work processes to establish human-centered work design. Moving from automation to autonomy through software, systems, or tools that support (or supplement) the human worker has specific consequences for field applications, for example, in the maritime sector. Autonomous systems are characterized by a high degree of self-governance concerning adaptation, communication, and decision-making. From a psychological perspective, maritime autonomy means that autonomous agents and humans work interdependently as a human-autonomy team.In this chapter, we first introduce the concept of human-autonomy teaming (HAT) in the context of maritime work settings. Second, we elaborate on three psychological perspectives on HAT (i.e., level of autonomy, system trust, system knowledge/features) spotlighting a maritime example of HAT in ship inspection. Qualitative interview results from maritime and technological experts give insights into the complex pattern of possible opportunities and hindrances when facing agent autonomy in maritime application fields. Finally, we outline future trends in HAT increasingly needed due to continuous technical improvement. Maritime autonomy is no static goal, but an adaptive team characteristic impacted by human and situational demands with the potential for collaborative learning, challenges for leadership, and open questions regarding the role of responsibility.