CAREER: Evaluating Capabilities of Neural Control in Human-Machine Interaction

这项教师早期职业发展奖的研究目标是定量评估操作员在人机交互(HMI)方面的能力。研究方法由两部分组成。在第一部分中，将人类算子视为一种混合神经控制器。神经控制器的能力是基于神经系统的生理约束和建模功能来评估的。在第二部分中，操作员被视为信息处理者和沟通渠道。神经系统的能力是用人和机器之间的信息交换率来量化的。这两个部分提供了互补的观点，并协同结合了控制论、信息论、计算神经科学、非侵入性人体实验和计算机模拟在人在回路控制系统的研究中。如果成功，这项研究的结果将为人机界面的有效性和人类控制者的根本局限性提供量化指标。这将对摒弃不可能的设计或规范，确定系统的可控性或任务的可达性，以及设计可最大限度地利用人类控制命令的HMI界面具有指导意义。这项研究还将促进对运动控制、学习和信息处理的神经组织和机制的理解。这些神经原理将启发智能和先进控制的新概念和新技术。该项目的教育部分将为学生和在职工程师创造更多机会，让他们认识到人的因素的重要性，并学习在工程系统设计中处理这些因素的技术。IEEE医学和生物学会工程学分会将设立一个新的学生分会，以促进学生参与与真实工程世界中以人为中心的设计相关的研究和专业活动。

The research objective of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award is to evaluate quantitatively the capabilities of human operators in human-machine interaction (HMI). The research approach consists of two parts. In the first part, the human operator is viewed as a hybrid neural controller. The capabilities of the neural controller are evaluated based on physiological constraints and modeled functions of the neural system. In the second part, the human operator is viewed as an information processor and a communication channel. The capacity of the neural system is quantified in terms of rate of information exchanges between the human and the machine. These two parts offer complementary views and synergistically combines control theory, information theory, computational neuroscience, non-invasive human experiments, and computer simulations in the study of human-in-the-loop control systems. If successful, the results of this research will provide quantitative indications of the effectiveness of HMI and fundamental limitations of the human controller. This will be instructive to discard impossible designs or specifications, determine system controllability or task achievability, and design HMI interfaces that may maximally utilize human control commands. This research will also promote the understanding of neural organization and mechanism for movement control, learning, and information processing. These neural principles will inspire new concepts and techniques for intelligent and advanced control. The educational component of this project will create more opportunities for students and working engineers to appreciate the importance of human factors and to learn techniques to handle these factors in engineering system design. A new student chapter of IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society will be instituted to facilitate student involvement in research and professional activities related to human-centered design in real engineering world.