Towards an ideal operator´s assistant: development of a framework

Properly designed computer assistants can reduce operator stress during emergencies, thereby resulting in better problem-solving and enhanced operator performance. This paper develops a framework for a computer assistant for the system operator. The operator assistant´s (OA´s) structure is based on (a) the desirable characteristics of an ideal assistant i.e., what an operator would expect from an ideal human assistant, (b) an operator-centered system state classification, and (c) modes of interaction among the system, the human operator and the computer assistant. The concept of operator-centered state classification, as juxtaposed with a tool-centered one, minimizes false alarms for the operator and directly identifies operator needs and actions at any instant of time. The hierarchical OA structure is applicable to generic large-scale systems. An emergency condition in a typical large-scale power system is used to illustrate the OA structure