Assessing Human-Automation Role Challenges for Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Operations

New aircraft types ranging from semi-autonomous to fully autonomous aircraft are envisioned for passenger and cargo transport operations. They present innumerable integration challenges, foremost among them pertaining to human automation roles and interactions. Both the FAA Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Concept of Operations (CONOPS) and NASA UAM CONOPS present incremental paths to fully integrated operations that assume initial operations are conducted using highly autonomous aircraft with a pilot on board using existing rules, regulations, systems, and infrastructure. In this paper we present an analysis framework to analyze the varying levels of automation as well as the human automation roles and interactions to achieve an adaptable, repeatable, and reusable process for approvals and oversight. Designing displays, systems and tools considering current and future needs will be not only beneficial but essential for integrated operations.