Cognitive and functional frameworks for hard/soft fusion for the condition monitoring of aircraft

The synergistic integration of information from electronic sensors and human sources is called hard/soft information fusion. Emerging literature is reviewed according to levels of the Joint Directors of Laboratories data fusion process model. Two frameworks are created for hard/soft information fusion for the condition monitoring of aircraft. First, a cognitive framework is adapted from Orasanu's decision process model and Klein's macrocognition. Second, a functional framework is adapted from the JDL model, and the data-information-knowledge hierarchy is juxtaposed. Levels of inference, machine capabilities, and maintainers' capabilities are also juxtaposed to compare and contrast relative strengths with respect to JDL levels. In ongoing studies, maintainers' information-seeking behavior is observed to make inferences about the cognitive processes underlying their decision-making and its implications for diagnoses, treatments, and resulting outcomes. Improved outcomes and reduced diagnostic effort may reduce operational maintenance cost, increase mission readiness, and increase flight safety.