Joint Cognitive Systems at Sea: A study of High Speed Craft Operation

Abstract

This thesis presents a philosophical, theoretical, practical and methodological discussion of the relationship between humans and technology in relation to technically assisted movement. The themes are investigated in five articles. In particular, the philosophical foundation of different perspectives on the relationship between humans and technology are discussed with a special emphasis on movement. The thesis then proceeds to present a case study of high-speed crafts in military service. The empirical data is gathered through the use of participatory observation. The operation of this type of ship is characterised by hazardous and uncertain conditions. High speed craft operation is considered very demanding for the navigators in terms of maintaining safety and efficiency. The observation accumulated over 120 hours of video recorded material of the crew during ship operation. This serves as a basis for a discussion and explication of specific theoretical frameworks for conceptual modelling of ship manoeuvring, as well as design of prototypes of new technological artefacts intended for the operation of the ship class. Further, this thesis addresses the issue of methodological challenges when studying elaborate human-technology systems by discussing the use of video in field observation.