Hosse, R. S.; Schnieder, E.:
Analyzing Meshed Control Loops Between Socio And Technical Control Components Within Road Traffic Systems.
SDPS 2012 - The Society for Design and Process Science, Berlin, Deutschland, Juni 2012.
Using cybernetics and systems’ theory for analyzing socio-technical systems with human-based and technology-based controllers gets increasingly attention due its capabilities of gaining a deeper understanding in the com- plex structures of systems, especially the unanticipated meshed control loops affecting safety. In particular the research of traffic systems lacks in combining hazard analyzing methodologies regarding simultaneously hu- mans as well as technology. Hazard analyzing methodologies using event-chain models, e.g. FMEA (failure mode and effects analysis) and/or FTA (fault tree analysis), neglect the cascaded feedback loops of socio and technical systems’ resources. Ergo a research approach is needed which takes respect to transdisciplinary ascendancies, stemming from engineering, politics, sociology, psychology, economics and research, in socio-technical systems and their effects on safety. This research paper illustrates how STAMP (systems-theoretic accident model and process) can be used to analyze the German road traffic system, setting the human controller into focus of the analysis, and identifying missing safety constraints using safety control structures and system dynamics models.