Taking account of human factors for interface assessment and design in monitoring automated systems

Optimum balance between control means and the operator capacities is sought for to achieve computerization of Man-Machine interfaces. Observation of the diagnosis activity of populations of operators in situation on simulators enables design criteria to be defined which are well-suited to the characteristics of the tasks with which they are confronted. This observation provides an assessment of the interfaces from the standpoint of the graphic layer, of the Human behaviour induced by the Machine and of the nature of the interaction between these two systems. This requires an original approach dialectically involving cognitive psychology, dynamic management of the knowledge bases (artificial intelligence) in a critical industrial control and monitoring application. (author)