Trust-Based Analysis of an Air Force Collision Avoidance System

This case study analyzes the factors that influence trust and acceptance among users (in this case, test pilots) of the Air Force’s Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System. Our analyses revealed that test pilots’ trust depended on a number of factors, including the development of a nuisance-free algorithm, designing fly-up evasive maneuvers consistent with a pilot’s preferred behavior, and using training to assess, demonstrate, and verify the system’s reliability. These factors are consistent with the literature on trust in automation and could lead to best practices for automation design, testing, and acceptance.