Faculty of Engineering & Built Environment, School of Electrical & Infomation Engineering, MSC Dissertation / The South African electrical utility,ESKOM, is one of the largest in the world with 40 GW capacity, worth R 965 billion, and an annual income of R 33 billion. The people responsible for the voltage control of the ESKOM transmission grid are highly skilled voltage controllers. An investigation was conducted to identify what constitutes their expertise. This is a ultidisciplinary research project that incorporates the fields of Power System Engineering, Industrial and Cognitive Psychology and Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Observations of the voltage controllers at work were carried out followed by in-depth interviews in order to identify, their Mental Control Strategies, Power System Visualization techniques, and Mental Models. Expert and novice voltage controllers were included in the research as well as one in-house Man Machine Interface (MMI) developer. Some of the main findings are: ·The sophisticated mental strategies that allow controllers to simplify the overabundance of data presented to them. ·The subconsciously created vivid mental imagery that they use to make fast intuitive decisions. Having obtained the above information, MMI design and human controller training can be optimised.

<p>För att skapa en produkt som stödjer kundens mål och arbetsprocesser är det av stor vikt att identifiera vilka, men även var och i vilket sammanhang de potentiella brukarna är och agerar. Moderna styrsystem ger möjligheter för flera olika personalkategorier att arbeta med systemen och dessutom används systemen inom skilda domäner där det finns olika behov. Det fanns därför ett behov att, på uppdrag av ABB, utreda vilka behov dessa olika personalkategorier har och hur styrsystemet uppfyller dessa, samt på vilka punkter systemet skulle kunna utöka sitt stöd för de uppgifter som skall utföras.</p><p> </p><p>I form av en fallstudie genomfördes därefter en kartläggning av arbetsmiljö, personalkategorier och olika uppgifter och mål som uppfylls av personalen. Fallstudien genomfördes utifrån ett systemperspektiv med ett sammansatt kognitivt system (JCS) som enhet för analys. Detta perspektiv var även tongivande vid presentation av resultaten i form av karaktäristiska gestaltningar av både brukare och domän.</p><p> </p><p>Studien har visat att befintliga gestaltningstekniker inte är tillräckliga för att gestalta brukare, domän och samspelet där emellan. Vad som krävs är mer djupgående domänbeskrivningar samt ett format för att presentera interaktionen mellan gestaltningarna. Att göra domän- och brukargestaltningar är i sig ingen garanti för att ett systemperspektiv antas, utan hela processen från datainsamling till bruk av färdiga gestaltningar är viktiga komponenter i strävan efter att erhålla ett systemperspektiv.</p><p> </p><p>Den troligtvis viktigaste egenskapen för att säkerställa ett systemperspektiv är expertkunskap hos skapare och brukare av de karaktäristiska gestaltningarna.</p><p> </p>

This thesis focuses on the cooperative and communicative aspects of control over dynamic situations such as emergency management and military operations. Taking a stance in Cognitive Systems Engineering, Decision making and Communication studies, the role of information systems as tools for communication in dynamic situations is examined. Three research questions are examined; 1 ) How new forms of information technology affects joint control tasks in dynamic situations, and how/if microworld simulations can be used to investigate this. 2 ) What the characteristics of actual use of information systems for joint control are in dynamic situations? 3 ) What the pre-requisites are for efficient communication in joint control tasks and especially in dynamic, high-risk situations? Four papers are included. A study performed with a microworld simulation involving military officers as participants is presented, and the method of using microworlds for investigating the effects of new technology is discussed. Field observations from an emergency call centre are used to exemplify how information systems actually are used in a cooperative task. An interview study with military officers from a UN-mission describes the social aspects of human-human communication in a dynamic, high risk environment. Finally, an elaborated perspective on the role of information systems as tools for communication, and especially the relation between the social, organisational and technical layers of a joint control activity is presented.

Essa dissertação é formada por três artigos que versam sobre o Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência – SAMU, da Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre. O primeiro artigo analisa a extensão na qual o SAMU opera como um sistema sociotécnico, considerando os 19 princípios propostos por Clegg (2000), tendo ficado claro que o sistema atende a 4, parcialmente a 3 e não atende a 12 deles. O segundo artigo foca o sistema de regulação do SAMU à luz dos quatro subsistemas do sistema sociotécnico: o pessoal, do projeto de trabalho, o tecnológico e do ambiente externo. O método utilizado para análise foi a Análise Macroergonômica do Trabalho – AMT (GUIMARÃES, 2010), que viabilizou a identificação de demanda ergonômica dos envolvidos no sistema, a partir de entrevistas e/ou questionários com 118 pessoas, sendo 41 trabalhadores da regulação e 77 das bases.Os resultados mostraram que os ítens de maior impacto para o desenvolvimento do serviço advém do ambiente externo, principalmente o despreparo da população para o uso do serviço (os trotes chegam a 69% das chamadas) e o risco de omissão de socorro. O terceiro artigo avalia o SAMU como um sistema complexo sob a ótica da Engenharia de Sistemas Cognitivos (ESC), que considera os fatores de coordenação, resiliência e “affordance” que emergem nas interações entre tecnologia e pessoas que compõem um sistema de trabalho. Concluiu-se que o SAMU possui diversas características de um sistema sociotécnico complexo, e que o sistema é descoordenado e clumssy, pois não possui artefatos e procedimentos de trabalho que agilizem o processo de trabalho. As características de resiliência são pró ativas e emergentes, pois os agentes diretos estão em constante adaptação para contornar os obstáculos encontrados no sistema de trabalho. Foram feitas algumas sugestões para melhoria do serviço, que poderão ser efetivadas a longo prazo, tendo em vista as dificuldades impostas pelo ambiente externo (legislação e questões políticas e sócio-culturais). / This dissertation consists of three articles that focus on the Mobile Emergency Service – SAMU of the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre. The first article examines the extent to which the SAMU operates as a sociotechnical system, considering the 19 principles proposed by Clegg (2000), it was clear that the system meets the 4, 3 and partially does not meet 12 of them. The second article focuses on the system of regulation of SAMU in the light of the four subsystems of the socio-technical system: staffing, project work, the technological and the external environment. The method of analysis was the Macroergonomic Work Analysis - MWA (GUIMARÃES, 2010), which enabled the identification of ergonomic demands of those involved in the system, based on interviews and / or questionnaires to 118 people, including 41 employees of regulation and 77 bases. The results showed that the items of greatest impact on service development comes from the external environment, especially the unpreparedness of the population using the service (hazing reach 69% of calls) and the risk of failure to save. The third article assesses the SAMU as a complex system from the perspective of Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE), which considers the factors of coordination, resilience and "affordance" that emerge in the interactions between technology and people that make a system work. It was concluded that the SAMU has several characteristics of a complex socio-technical system and the system is patchy and clumssy as it has no artifacts and work processes that streamline the work process. The characteristics of resilience are clear, as the direct agents are constantly adapting to bypass the obstacles encountered in the work. There have been some suggestions for improving the service, which could take effect in the long term, in view of the difficulties imposed by the external environment (legislation and policy issues and socio-cultural).

Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) are intelligent software entities with an embodiment used to communicate with users, using natural language. Their purpose is to exhibit the same properties as humans in face-to-face conversation, including the ability to produce and respond to verbal and nonverbal communication. Researchers in the field of ECAs try to create agents that can be more natural, believable and easy to use. Designing an ECA requires understanding that manner, personality, emotion, and appearance are very important issues to be considered. In this thesis, we are interested in increasing believability of ECAs by placing personality at the heart of the human-agent verbal interaction. We propose a model relating personality facets and hidden communication goals that can influence ECA behaviors. Moreover, we apply our model in agents that interact in a puzzle game application. We develop five distinct personality oriented agents using an expressive communication language and a plan-based BDI approach for modeling and managing dialogue according to our proposed model. In summary, we present and test an innovative approach to model mental aspects of ECAs trying to increase their believability and to enhance human-agent affective communication. With this research, we hope to improve the understanding on how ECAs with expressive and affective characteristics can establish and maintain long-term human-agent relationships.

Essa dissertação é formada por três artigos que versam sobre o Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência – SAMU, da Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre. O primeiro artigo analisa a extensão na qual o SAMU opera como um sistema sociotécnico, considerando os 19 princípios propostos por Clegg (2000), tendo ficado claro que o sistema atende a 4, parcialmente a 3 e não atende a 12 deles. O segundo artigo foca o sistema de regulação do SAMU à luz dos quatro subsistemas do sistema sociotécnico: o pessoal, do projeto de trabalho, o tecnológico e do ambiente externo. O método utilizado para análise foi a Análise Macroergonômica do Trabalho – AMT (GUIMARÃES, 2010), que viabilizou a identificação de demanda ergonômica dos envolvidos no sistema, a partir de entrevistas e/ou questionários com 118 pessoas, sendo 41 trabalhadores da regulação e 77 das bases.Os resultados mostraram que os ítens de maior impacto para o desenvolvimento do serviço advém do ambiente externo, principalmente o despreparo da população para o uso do serviço (os trotes chegam a 69% das chamadas) e o risco de omissão de socorro. O terceiro artigo avalia o SAMU como um sistema complexo sob a ótica da Engenharia de Sistemas Cognitivos (ESC), que considera os fatores de coordenação, resiliência e “affordance” que emergem nas interações entre tecnologia e pessoas que compõem um sistema de trabalho. Concluiu-se que o SAMU possui diversas características de um sistema sociotécnico complexo, e que o sistema é descoordenado e clumssy, pois não possui artefatos e procedimentos de trabalho que agilizem o processo de trabalho. As características de resiliência são pró ativas e emergentes, pois os agentes diretos estão em constante adaptação para contornar os obstáculos encontrados no sistema de trabalho. Foram feitas algumas sugestões para melhoria do serviço, que poderão ser efetivadas a longo prazo, tendo em vista as dificuldades impostas pelo ambiente externo (legislação e questões políticas e sócio-culturais). / This dissertation consists of three articles that focus on the Mobile Emergency Service – SAMU of the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre. The first article examines the extent to which the SAMU operates as a sociotechnical system, considering the 19 principles proposed by Clegg (2000), it was clear that the system meets the 4, 3 and partially does not meet 12 of them. The second article focuses on the system of regulation of SAMU in the light of the four subsystems of the socio-technical system: staffing, project work, the technological and the external environment. The method of analysis was the Macroergonomic Work Analysis - MWA (GUIMARÃES, 2010), which enabled the identification of ergonomic demands of those involved in the system, based on interviews and / or questionnaires to 118 people, including 41 employees of regulation and 77 bases. The results showed that the items of greatest impact on service development comes from the external environment, especially the unpreparedness of the population using the service (hazing reach 69% of calls) and the risk of failure to save. The third article assesses the SAMU as a complex system from the perspective of Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE), which considers the factors of coordination, resilience and "affordance" that emerge in the interactions between technology and people that make a system work. It was concluded that the SAMU has several characteristics of a complex socio-technical system and the system is patchy and clumssy as it has no artifacts and work processes that streamline the work process. The characteristics of resilience are clear, as the direct agents are constantly adapting to bypass the obstacles encountered in the work. There have been some suggestions for improving the service, which could take effect in the long term, in view of the difficulties imposed by the external environment (legislation and policy issues and socio-cultural).

Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) are intelligent software entities with an embodiment used to communicate with users, using natural language. Their purpose is to exhibit the same properties as humans in face-to-face conversation, including the ability to produce and respond to verbal and nonverbal communication. Researchers in the field of ECAs try to create agents that can be more natural, believable and easy to use. Designing an ECA requires understanding that manner, personality, emotion, and appearance are very important issues to be considered. In this thesis, we are interested in increasing believability of ECAs by placing personality at the heart of the human-agent verbal interaction. We propose a model relating personality facets and hidden communication goals that can influence ECA behaviors. Moreover, we apply our model in agents that interact in a puzzle game application. We develop five distinct personality oriented agents using an expressive communication language and a plan-based BDI approach for modeling and managing dialogue according to our proposed model. In summary, we present and test an innovative approach to model mental aspects of ECAs trying to increase their believability and to enhance human-agent affective communication. With this research, we hope to improve the understanding on how ECAs with expressive and affective characteristics can establish and maintain long-term human-agent relationships.

För att skapa en produkt som stödjer kundens mål och arbetsprocesser är det av stor vikt att identifiera vilka, men även var och i vilket sammanhang de potentiella brukarna är och agerar. Moderna styrsystem ger möjligheter för flera olika personalkategorier att arbeta med systemen och dessutom används systemen inom skilda domäner där det finns olika behov. Det fanns därför ett behov att, på uppdrag av ABB, utreda vilka behov dessa olika personalkategorier har och hur styrsystemet uppfyller dessa, samt på vilka punkter systemet skulle kunna utöka sitt stöd för de uppgifter som skall utföras.   I form av en fallstudie genomfördes därefter en kartläggning av arbetsmiljö, personalkategorier och olika uppgifter och mål som uppfylls av personalen. Fallstudien genomfördes utifrån ett systemperspektiv med ett sammansatt kognitivt system (JCS) som enhet för analys. Detta perspektiv var även tongivande vid presentation av resultaten i form av karaktäristiska gestaltningar av både brukare och domän.   Studien har visat att befintliga gestaltningstekniker inte är tillräckliga för att gestalta brukare, domän och samspelet där emellan. Vad som krävs är mer djupgående domänbeskrivningar samt ett format för att presentera interaktionen mellan gestaltningarna. Att göra domän- och brukargestaltningar är i sig ingen garanti för att ett systemperspektiv antas, utan hela processen från datainsamling till bruk av färdiga gestaltningar är viktiga komponenter i strävan efter att erhålla ett systemperspektiv.   Den troligtvis viktigaste egenskapen för att säkerställa ett systemperspektiv är expertkunskap hos skapare och brukare av de karaktäristiska gestaltningarna.

Essa dissertação é formada por três artigos que versam sobre o Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência – SAMU, da Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre. O primeiro artigo analisa a extensão na qual o SAMU opera como um sistema sociotécnico, considerando os 19 princípios propostos por Clegg (2000), tendo ficado claro que o sistema atende a 4, parcialmente a 3 e não atende a 12 deles. O segundo artigo foca o sistema de regulação do SAMU à luz dos quatro subsistemas do sistema sociotécnico: o pessoal, do projeto de trabalho, o tecnológico e do ambiente externo. O método utilizado para análise foi a Análise Macroergonômica do Trabalho – AMT (GUIMARÃES, 2010), que viabilizou a identificação de demanda ergonômica dos envolvidos no sistema, a partir de entrevistas e/ou questionários com 118 pessoas, sendo 41 trabalhadores da regulação e 77 das bases.Os resultados mostraram que os ítens de maior impacto para o desenvolvimento do serviço advém do ambiente externo, principalmente o despreparo da população para o uso do serviço (os trotes chegam a 69% das chamadas) e o risco de omissão de socorro. O terceiro artigo avalia o SAMU como um sistema complexo sob a ótica da Engenharia de Sistemas Cognitivos (ESC), que considera os fatores de coordenação, resiliência e “affordance” que emergem nas interações entre tecnologia e pessoas que compõem um sistema de trabalho. Concluiu-se que o SAMU possui diversas características de um sistema sociotécnico complexo, e que o sistema é descoordenado e clumssy, pois não possui artefatos e procedimentos de trabalho que agilizem o processo de trabalho. As características de resiliência são pró ativas e emergentes, pois os agentes diretos estão em constante adaptação para contornar os obstáculos encontrados no sistema de trabalho. Foram feitas algumas sugestões para melhoria do serviço, que poderão ser efetivadas a longo prazo, tendo em vista as dificuldades impostas pelo ambiente externo (legislação e questões políticas e sócio-culturais). / This dissertation consists of three articles that focus on the Mobile Emergency Service – SAMU of the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre. The first article examines the extent to which the SAMU operates as a sociotechnical system, considering the 19 principles proposed by Clegg (2000), it was clear that the system meets the 4, 3 and partially does not meet 12 of them. The second article focuses on the system of regulation of SAMU in the light of the four subsystems of the socio-technical system: staffing, project work, the technological and the external environment. The method of analysis was the Macroergonomic Work Analysis - MWA (GUIMARÃES, 2010), which enabled the identification of ergonomic demands of those involved in the system, based on interviews and / or questionnaires to 118 people, including 41 employees of regulation and 77 bases. The results showed that the items of greatest impact on service development comes from the external environment, especially the unpreparedness of the population using the service (hazing reach 69% of calls) and the risk of failure to save. The third article assesses the SAMU as a complex system from the perspective of Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE), which considers the factors of coordination, resilience and "affordance" that emerge in the interactions between technology and people that make a system work. It was concluded that the SAMU has several characteristics of a complex socio-technical system and the system is patchy and clumssy as it has no artifacts and work processes that streamline the work process. The characteristics of resilience are clear, as the direct agents are constantly adapting to bypass the obstacles encountered in the work. There have been some suggestions for improving the service, which could take effect in the long term, in view of the difficulties imposed by the external environment (legislation and policy issues and socio-cultural).

Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs) are intelligent software entities with an embodiment used to communicate with users, using natural language. Their purpose is to exhibit the same properties as humans in face-to-face conversation, including the ability to produce and respond to verbal and nonverbal communication. Researchers in the field of ECAs try to create agents that can be more natural, believable and easy to use. Designing an ECA requires understanding that manner, personality, emotion, and appearance are very important issues to be considered. In this thesis, we are interested in increasing believability of ECAs by placing personality at the heart of the human-agent verbal interaction. We propose a model relating personality facets and hidden communication goals that can influence ECA behaviors. Moreover, we apply our model in agents that interact in a puzzle game application. We develop five distinct personality oriented agents using an expressive communication language and a plan-based BDI approach for modeling and managing dialogue according to our proposed model. In summary, we present and test an innovative approach to model mental aspects of ECAs trying to increase their believability and to enhance human-agent affective communication. With this research, we hope to improve the understanding on how ECAs with expressive and affective characteristics can establish and maintain long-term human-agent relationships.