Resilience in Ergonomics 5.0

This chapter discusses how systems can be designed for resilient performance in the era of Ergonomics 5.0. It addresses the need in the “5.0” era for systems that can change to meet opportunities or challenges, and how to improve the ways we build and assess adaptive systems. Non-deterministic, complex challenges are typical of our evolving post-industrial society. While systems can make it possible for humans to effectively engage dynamic, rapidly evolving problems, the technology on which they rely must be suited to meet real-world needs even as complexity and rate of change increase. To do so, systems must be configured to rapidly adapt so they constantly minimize the difference between need and solution. This will make it possible to more accurately understand the implications of interdependence both among system elements and with related systems. Information technology (IT) can be a resource to enable this adaptive ability, be need to better understand both the opportunities and potential pitfalls when humans and automation are bound together in situations in which resilient performance is needed to develop the future accordingly. Improvements to human subject research, development of rapid simulation, and valid models offer the potential to move beyond traditional methods and IT issues to authentically engage “5.0” era dynamic challenges and the systems intended to meet them.