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01 / Empowering the Autonomous Force
- Autonomous technologies are reshaping modern warfare across all domains.
- The real value of autonomy lies in how it integrates with human operators.
- Human-centered design ensures autonomy is usable, trusted, and mission-effective.
- With well-designed systems, humans shift from operators to orchestrators of autonomous assets.
02/ Good Design is Mission-Critical
- Autonomous systems succeed when designed with human operators, not around them.
- Good design reduces cognitive load, speeds decision-making, and increases mission tempo.
- Usability and operator experience are becoming key procurement criteria for the DoD.
- Suppliers who invest in design gain a competitive edge in both acquisition and adoption.
03/ Principles for Human-Machine Teaming
- Bundle Decisions, Amplify Authority: Group complex decisions to keep operators focused and empowered.
- Precision In, Flexibility Out: Interfaces must enable clear intent-setting to support adaptive system behavior.
- Trace Decisions, Build Trust: Transparent reasoning builds operator confidence and aids diagnostics.
- Uphold Ethos, Evolve Doctrine: Design must respect military values while enabling doctrinal shifts like 1-to-many control
- Warfighter Needs, Not Hypotheticals: Real user input shapes more relevant, effective requirements and solutions.
04/ Lessons from the Field
- Overdesigned on Paper: Dense interfaces confused operators—simple orientation tools proved more valuable.
- When Alerts Become Noise: Excessive alerts eroded trust—grouping and filtering increased responsiveness.
- Design That Adapts to the Mission: Static dashboards failed—modular UIs allowed real-time mission adjustments.
- Trust Is Built in the Interface: Lack of system feedback led to autonomy being disabled—persistent status indicators restored trust.
05/ Accelerating Capability through Strategic Design
- Human-centered design delivers measurable value: better workflows, faster training, and mission resilience.
- These are not aspirational—they’re achievable with early, disciplined investment in design.
- For defense developers and suppliers, design is no longer optional—it’s essential for field-ready autonomy.