Taming HAL Designing Interfaces Beyond 2001 [Hardcover]

This book is an exploration of interaction between humans, computers and automated machines and why they frequently go awry, sometimes with disastrous consequences. The book lays out a clear foundation for evaluating interactions between users and machines, showing the reader how to describe, analyze and quickly identify potential design problems. The insights and methodologies provided allow the reader to understand the root human-interaction problems in modern systems, improve the usability of new user interfaces, and, the author hopes, have a say in the design of the highly automated systems of the future.PART 1: FROM THE BEGINNING Introduction Let's Start The End of the Beginning On Non-Determinism, Golems, Fear, and the Case of the Night Alarm Korean Airlines Flight 007 and Non-Determinism PART 2: MODELS OF DEVICES, INTERNET, AND CONTROL SYSTEMS The Statecharts Way Models of Everyday Things Surfing and Analyzing Internet Sites Automated Control Systems The Crash of an Airbus A-320 in Strasbourg, France, and Mode-Mode Interaction Guidelines for Design PART 3: BACK TO FORMAL Formal Aspects of Human-Automation Interaction Human-Automation Interaction: The Case of a New Autopilot A New Flight Management Function: The Complete Evaluation Process Conclusion

An entertaining and thought-provoking text on problems with many existing machine interfaces, from simple lamps to complex aircraft displays. Using the dangerous malfunction of the computer HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey as a stepping-off point, Degani clearly delineates the differences between machine and human models of tasks and processes, points out where communication disconnects can occur, and describes design solutions to prevent such errors...of interest to educated lay readers as well as engineers and aviators. - Library Journal

Asaf Degani is one of the leading experts on the impact of computer automation on human beings. In Taming Hal, he has written a book that is full of cl³«