ALLY: an operator´s associate model for cooperative supervisory control situations

The authors explore the key characteristics of an intelligent advisory system. A central feature is that human-machine cooperation should be based on a metaphor of human-to-human cooperation. ALLY, a computer-based operator´s associate, is discussed which is based on a preliminary theory of human-to-human cooperation. ALLY assists the operator in carrying out the supervisory control functions for a simulated NASA ground control system. Experimental evaluation of ALLY indicates that operators using ALLY performed at least as well as they did when using a human associate, and in some cases they performed even better