CSRA explores human-machine interaction to enhance Air Force capabilities

CSRA Inc. of Falls Church, VA announced on August 4 that it received a contract to support the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in conducting human-centered research and development to improve and protect mission-critical processes and tools used by airmen. The single-award contract is valued at $7.5 million over a six-year period.

CSRA’s team of scientists and engineers will assist AFRL in conducting research to further understand how humans interact with technology and how the interaction is influenced by trust. CSRA will help design and execute research consisting of both laboratory and field studies. The results of the research will provide an increased understanding of how technologies and user interfaces should be designed in the future to improve tool safety and performance.

“Trust is an important facet of effectively adopting and embracing human-machine interaction,” said Ken Deutsch, CSRA executive vice president, Defense Group. “We are partnering with the AFRL to go above and beyond traditional research to focus on understanding human-machine trust in key operational Air Force systems, which will lead to the development of design guides and potentially new user interfaces and system designs for our airmen.”

CSRA will examine factors such as how interpersonal trust and socio-emotional elements influence trust development. The company will also identify methods that facilitate human trust calibration and transparency within human-machine systems. CSRA will also explore human-machine communication, coordination and collaboration to improve effectiveness. The Air Force designated human-machine engagement as a primary research thrust for ensuring effective pilots; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operators; analysts; maintenance specialists; and human-robot teams.

Source: CSRA Inc