A Taxonomy for Levels of Automation based on the Industrial Revolutions

Level of Automation (LoA) refers to the level of task planning and performance interaction maintained between human operators and computers in controlling a complex system. Different taxonomies for LoA have been introduced since the end of the 1950s. However, a taxonomy that can be applied independently from the application domain has not been proposed yet. Considering that the concepts related to the control science apply independently from the application domain, this work illustrates a taxonomy for LoA that relies on the different levels of control introduced within each industrial revolution. Furthermore, two hands-on laboratories are proposed to support the teaching of the taxonomy to students with different academic backgrounds. In order to be validated, the proposed taxonomy and the hands-on laboratories were respectively introduced and tested in a bachelor degree course. This validation process showed that the taxonomy has the potential to provide a common vocabulary and systematic view that can support the design of engineering systems that integrate humans and technologies, and education concerning the industrial revolutions. Additionally, the hands-on laboratories resulted to facilitate the comprehension of the taxonomy and to enhance students’ motivation, even for students from careers different from the engineering ones.