The interactions between people and their work environment continue to grow in complexity, as a network of web-based tools increasingly mediates and automates work. IHMC scientists study these interactions using new methodologies for understanding work,through observation and simulation of work practices. Collaborating with managers and workers, they analyze problematic situations and propose new work system designs that account for the interactions of roles, computer tools, schedules, and facilities in the work setting.
To understand better the nature of work systems, Dr. Bill Clancey and co-workers developed the Brahmstool to model and simulate what people actually do in a work environment. Using data from time-lapse videos, first-hand observations, and interviews, work practice modelers create detailed storyboards of activities. Brahms simulations depict how people communicate, use tools (including devices and computational systems), and how they move in a physical environment, modeled as a geographic layout of areas and objects. Brahms simulations then can be altered to visualize new operational concepts,including the potential for automation, more appropriate roles, better physical design, or improved scheduling.
In addition to being a modeling and simulation tool, Brahms can also serve as a runtime system where the simulated people and systems (e.g., rovers) are replaced by real people and systems. Some of the “agents” (programs with goals and memory) are converted into personal agents for the people, thus automating aspects of the workflow and communications.
Using Brahms as a runtime system, Clancey’s research group developed the Mobile Agents system, which was used experimentally at the Mars Desert Research Station in Utah during two-week stays from 2002 to 2006. For trips to Mars, astronauts would not be able to have real-time conversations with Earth, so researchers explored automating aspects of Capcom, the ground crew during the Apollo missions. This research addresses how to design effective computer and robotic tools for astronauts and how to help them collaborate more effectively with support teams on Earth. Mobile Agents was used experimentally in 2008 by geology field scientists, in their studies of lava tubes in Hawaii and New Mexico, to record data locations and descriptions. From their experience, new functionalities are identified, such as automated identification of features (“Which lava pit is this?”) and navigation assistance (“Guide me to lava pit 3.”). By using Mobile Agents on Earth, we both assist geologists today in learning about volcanic features we might find on the moon, as well as refine tools for the next generation of lunar astronauts.