Towards future threat evaluation systems: User study, proposal and precepts for design

In the defense domain, to estimate if a target is threatening and to which degree is a complex task, that is typically carried out by human operators due to the high risks and uncertainties associated. To their aid, different support systems have been implemented to analyze the data and provide recommendations for actions. Since the ultimate responsibility lies in human operators, it is of utmost importance that they trust and know how to use these systems, as well as have an understanding of their inner workings, strengths and limitations. This paper presents, first, a formative user study to characterize how air traffic operators carry out threat evaluation related tasks. Grounded in these findings and in guidelines found in the literature, we present a transparent and highly interactive prototype that aims at reducing operator's cognitive load and support threat assessment activities. The literature review provided on design guidelines, the outcomes of the user study, the design of the prototype as well as the results of an initial evaluation can provide guidance for both researchers and prospective developers of future threat evaluation systems.