Cooperative systems for marine operations using actor-network design: A discussion

After discussing the roles of marine engineers and interaction designers from computer science (CS)/information systems (IS), I investigate issues with the aim of promoting better cooperative systems for maritime industries. As part of my research project, I have observed marine operations and interviewed bridge operators, captains, and crewmembers, as well as engine engineers in their workplace, in order to investigate how cooperative work occurs in current marine operational systems. Against the background of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), I look into how to improve systems to support safety-critical operations for offshore services at sea. Most safety-critical operations occur as part of cooperative operations and interactions between operators and systems. Engineers and interaction designers should cooperate to design cooperative systems with users in the early stages. However, there is not a common understanding between engineers and interaction designers regarding the meaning of cooperative work. In order to improve computer systems to support marine cooperative work, a new understanding of marine technology is necessary where design needs are met through the integration of engineering design, CS/IS theoretical thinking, and work practices. Human operators, systems, and materials used in workspaces are actors deeply lived in work environments; hence, I discuss a means of adopting Bannon's concept of human actors toward the development of an actor-network design of cooperative systems.