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As a standard procedure of human factors engineering, the design of complex systems (e.g., operator interfaces) starts with analyses of system objectives, missions, functions, and tasks. Perceptual Control Theory (PCT) provides a theoretical framework for guiding this process. PCT is founded on notions from control theory, in which closed-loop, negative-gain, feedback systems can be used to build powerful models of goal-directed behavior and for implementing complex systems (Powers, 1973). One of the strengths of PCT over competing human behavior theories is that it explains how humans can control systems that are subject to a wide variety of external influences. UAV control is through the operators’ interaction with the interfaces in remote control stations. A closed-loop feedback system is crucial for both operators and control systems to understand the states and goals of each other. It is likely that advanced UAV control systems will require operators to interact with automated systems such as IAIs. IAIs are sophisticated and will require knowledge about mission goals, the operators’ goals, and states, as well as the UAV and environmental states. Thus, the methods of analysis used in this research were based on PCT given its engineering origins in control theory and advantages accommodating various external disturbances.

The public’s awareness of noise and vibration forms a significant barrier to further development of railways. This chapter begins with a short introduction to the main fundamental aspects of acoustics, including decibels, frequency analysis, the propagation of sound with distance and common measurement quantities. The main sources of railway noise are discussed, including rolling noise, impact noise, curve squeal and aerodynamic noise. Simple calculation procedures are described that can be used to assess the impact of railway noise and to compare it with legal limits. The final section is devoted to ground vibration, which is a related form of environmental disturbance.

This study proposes targeted modernization of the Department of Defense (DoD's) Joint Forces Ammunition Logistics information system by implementing the optimized innovative information technology open architecture design and integrating Radio Frequency Identification Device data technologies and real-time optimization and control mechanisms as the critical technology components of the solution. The innovative information technology, which pursues the focused logistics, will be deployed in 36 months at the estimated cost of $568 million in constant dollars. We estimate that the Systems, Applications, Products (SAP)-based enterprise integration solution that the Army currently pursues will cost another $1.5 billion through the year 2014; however, it is unlikely to deliver the intended technical capabilities.

The concept of light-handed regulation, including light-handed approaches to the regulation of airport services, is discussed. The rationale for the economic regulation of airport services and the traditional approaches used for economic regulation of airport charges are summarized. The evolution of international practice of light-handed regulation is outlined, including the experience with minimal regulation across monopoly industries in New Zealand and the acceptance of “negotiated settlements” in utility industries in North America. General reasons for moving to light-handed regulation of airports include the disadvantages of the price cap approach in practice and the benefits of facilitating greater negotiation between airports and users. Comparisons are made between alternative approaches to light-handed regulation of airport services, including price and quality of service monitoring, information disclosure regulation and negotiate-arbitrate regulation, approaches that have been applied to airport services in Australia and New Zealand. The role and nature of the incentives under each approach are discussed. The chapter concludes that whether light-handed regulation provides a suitable alternative approach to direct regulation depends on the market circumstances and the design characteristics of the light-handed approach.

The chapter offers complete details of the latest SGL version particularly suitable for dealing with large security systems and emerging crisis situations. It describes main types of constants representing information, physical matter or both and five very different and specific types of variables operating in fully distributed spaces and even being mobile themselves when serving spreading algorithms. Also given full repertoire of the language operations, called rules, which can be arbitrarily nested and carry different navigation, creation, processing, assignment, control, verification, context, exchange, transference, echoing, timing and other loads. The rules equally operate with local and remote values, process both, matter and distributed networked knowledge, and can express active graph-based patterns navigating, matching, conquering and changing distributed environments. Elementary programming examples in SGL are also provided.