Published online by Cambridge University Press: 19 June 2023
This paper presents a focused examination of critical performance and design issues for the introduction of highly automated tractors and their user interfaces in agriculture. An industry that as of today mainly uses direct-controlled machines that at least to some extent have partly automated functionalities. Issues include out-of-the-loop unfamiliarity, interface complexity, automation transparency, and changing information modalities in teleoperation scenarios for former cabin-based operated machines. Selected evidence and accompanying concepts and findings from literature are put in context to each issue, informing a systematic design process that utilizes the frameworks of knowledge engineering and ecological interface design. The resulting user interface prototype is built upon the identified requirements in analysis and collected design guidelines, stemming from various research areas. The documentation of the consideration of these in context with additional requirements, such as complexity reduction, information interactivity, and users' existing experiences is meant to provide insights into the often opaque and art-like design space.