What does "Situation Awareness" mean?

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Situation awareness (SA) is the ability to know what is happening around you and understand how it affects you. It involves being aware of your surroundings, recognizing important changes, and predicting how those changes may impact your actions.

In driving, especially with automated vehicles, SA is particularly important. Drivers need to be able to quickly regain control of the vehicle if necessary, such as when automation fails or when a dangerous situation arises. This means drivers must be alert and ready to respond at any moment.

When studying SA in drivers, researchers collect data from various sources, such as body responses and eye movements, to see how aware a driver is in different situations. For example, they may look at how drivers react when an automated system makes a mistake or when the driving conditions become risky.

In human-robot teams, situation awareness also plays a key role. Team members, including robots, must have a shared understanding of what is happening. People often build mental models of their environment and their teammates, which helps them work together smoothly without needing to talk all the time.

Overall, maintaining good situation awareness helps both drivers and team members make better decisions and react more effectively to changes in their environment.