Vizir: A Domain-Specific Graphical Language for Authoring and Operating Airport Automations

Automation is one of the key solutions proposed and adopted by international Air Transport research programs to meet the challenges of increasing air traffic. For automation to be safe and usable, it needs to be suitable to the activity it supports, both when authoring it and when operating it. Here we present Vizir, a Domain-Specific Graphical Language and an Environment for authoring and operating airport automations. We used a participatory-design process with Air Traffic Controllers to gather requirements for Vizir and to design its features. Vizir combines visual interaction-oriented programming constructs with activity-related geographic areas and events. Vizir offers explicit human-control constructs, graphical substrates and means to scale-up with multiple automations. We propose a set of guidelines to inspire designers of similar usable hybrid human-automation systems.