Cambridge Consultants - Decision support systems for control rooms combats information-overload effects of escalating levels of automation

Decision support systems for control rooms combats information-overload effects of escalating levels of automation

At Urban Transport 2004 (Dresden 19-21 May), Cambridge Consultants Ltd (CCL) will demonstrate the role of decision support systems for optimising the efficiency of real-time control rooms.

Using a model developed in conjunction with a major European metro operator, CCL's agent software demonstrator shows how intelligent tools help controllers to combat the real-life stresses of centralised control strategies, and to remain focused on strategic issues.

As the level of real-time automation increases, and centralised control rooms in areas such as processing plants or mass transit networks become linked to more and more sensors and systems, it becomes easy for the typical exception-handling workload to be swamped by events. A common result is that the attention of supervisory staff can be diverted from core or critical operations.

"If it's not implemented carefully, automation can funnel unworkable quantities of data and decisions into a centralised control room, where it becomes easy for operators lose sight of the goals," notes Jon Garnsworthy, Head of Transport Systems at CCL. "We expect decision support systems to become increasingly relevant for automation suppliers and end-users, and we anticipate rapid growth for the technology in areas including mass transit, plant control, utilities, and defence."

CCL's decision support system (DSS) demonstrator, which runs on a Windows platform, uses the JACK Agent language system to provide interactive decision support for the control of a city metro network. This prototype application interactively assists controllers on the detailed implementation of their chosen recovery strategy following an incident. By presenting operators with relevant and timely advice and options, the DSS has the potential to allow less skilled operators to reach similar conclusions to the most experienced operators, in the same timescales. In the mass transit environment, the support provided by CCL's DSS demonstrator embodies experience of a wide range of emergency conditions ranging from bomb scares to train breakdowns, with their enormous implications ranging from passenger safety to revenue and customer satisfaction. A forward simulation tool additionally helps the operators to anticipate short and longer-term performance issues and propose refinements.

Each agent has an internal structure based on Beliefs, Desires and Intentions. CCL's overall decision support system for metro management has three layers of functionality: the user presentation layer which is targeted toward decision-making activities; the service layer which helps operators to determine the overall strategies that should be considered; and a layer which interfaces with railway resources including crew and train scheduling, and station announcements.

CCL is one of a few commercial organisations in Europe with practical experience of building decision support systems for real-time applications. The consultancy has worked in this area for 20 years, and has created its own methodology for managing knowledge based engineering projects, based on KADS*. Its project framework extends the KADS methodology with models that bridge the design and the process, speeding and simplifying the production of systems.

KADS - Knowledge Acquisition and Design System - a structured methodology for developing knowledge-based systems, orginally developed in the mid-80s within an EU funded project.
Note to editors:
Cambridge Consultants Limited (CCL) designs and develops innovative new products, processes and systems. CCL enables clients to turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether launching first-to-market products, or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies.
With a team of over 200 engineers and scientists, CCL is able to offer solutions across a diverse range of industries including healthcare, wireless communications, industrial and consumer products, automotive and transport.