Hazard Analysis of Action Loops for Automated Vehicle Remote Operation

One way to compensate for the limitations of automated vehicles is to use a remote operator as a fallback controller. Indeed, this has been proposed for fleet management and intermittent vehicle control. However, existing remote operation applications have demonstrated control challenges, such as latency and bandwidth, that inhibit the effectiveness of human operators. Additionally, human factors challenges arising due to the roles of multiple remote operators managing multiple vehicles further complicates these interventions. This paper uses the Systems Theoretic Process Analysis hazard analysis technique to identify system-level issues related to the remote operation of automated vehicles. Human factors challenges are identified through the lens of two control loops that link remote drivers, dispatchers, and vehicle automation. These control loops reveal familiar challenges, such as situation awareness and mental model mismatches, as well as novel challenges, such as poorly synchronized and misaligned control.