Impact of Automation Levels in Different Information Processing Stages on Submersible Mechanical Support Operational Work Performance Under Unbalanced Workloads

Submersible mechanical support operators often face uneven task frequencies in monitoring and handling the buoyancy regulation and support (BRS) system, which can lead to unbalanced workload (WL) levels and potential safety risks. The introduction of a reasonable level of automation (LOA) can be effective in improving the safety performance of submersible. This experimental study recruited 40 participants to evaluate the effects of increasing LOA on mechanical support operational work performance at different information processing stages under unbalanced WL levels. The results showed that under unbalanced WL levels, increasing LOA during the information acquisition and analysis stage significantly improved work performance. However, increasing LOA during the decision and action implementation stage not only significantly improved work performance, but also significantly reduced subjective WL, although it was accompanied by a decrease in situation awareness. Increasing LOA in both information processing stages did not significantly affect eye movement indicators.