Study on modeling of operator´s learning mechanism

One effective method to analyze the causes of human errors is to model the behavior of a human and to simulate it. The Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) has developed an operator team behavior simulation system called SYBORG (Simulation sYstem for the Behavior of an OpeRating Group) in order to analyze human errors and to establish countermeasures for them. The operator behavior model within SYBORG has no learning mechanism and the knowledge about a plant is fixed; therefore it cannot take suitable actions when unknown situations occur, nor can it learn anything from the experience. However, considering actual operators, learning is essential in order to enhance their ability to diagnose plant anomalies, and this may lead to improved plant safety. This paper describes the study results of modeling operators´ learning mechanisms, taking human nature into account