Sensing and Human Factors Research: A Review

Human experts are integral to the success of computational earth observation. They perform various visual decision-making tasks, from selecting data and training machine-learning algorithms to interpreting accuracy and credibility. Research concerning the various human factors which affect performance has a long history within the fields of earth observation and the military. Shifts in the analytical environment from analog to digital workspaces necessitate continued research, focusing on human-in-the-loop processing. This article reviews the history of human-factors research within the field of remote sensing and suggests a framework for refocusing the discipline's efforts to understand the role that humans play in earth observation.