Ecological Interface Design for Vehicle Locomotion Control

Ecological interface design (EID) was originally developed in the context of process control but has been extended into many domains where technology has resulted in both changing work demands and increased opportunities for improved interface applications. This paper gives an overview of the application of the EID to the control of vehicle locomotion, either from within the vehicle, as a driver or a pilot, or from the outside, as an operator or a (air traffic) controller. It discusses lessons learned from the application of the EID for the vehicle locomotion control task and focuses on how the methodology can be applied to this domain. Specific issues identified are that the planning and control of a vehicle simultaneously spans multiple time scales and that the interface must be designed considering the format in which the control input is defined. Also, due to the extensive standardization of the instrumentation and training certification, changes introduced by the new displays must initially be additional to the existing displays. Chosen representations must also be shown in a format that matches the current instrumentation and the directly observable outside world.