Human factors assessment of International Space Station (ISS) medical equipment packs

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Paige Smith ◽  
Vicky E. Byrne ◽  
Cynthia Hudy ◽  
Mihriban Whitmore
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
International Space Station ◽  
Medical Equipment ◽  
Space Station ◽  
International Space

Space Human Factors Advanced Development Projects

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-80
Author(s):  
B. Woolford ◽  
T. Rathjen ◽  
M. Whitmore ◽  
S. Rajulu ◽  
J. Blume Novak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
International Space Station ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Crew Member ◽  
Space Vehicles ◽  
Development Projects ◽  
Medical Procedure ◽  
International Space ◽  
Analytical Approaches ◽  
Advanced Development

The NASA Space Human Factors community engages in activities that range from basic research through advanced development projects to applications associated with ongoing programs such as the International Space Station and the Shuttle. This panel of NASA human factors specialists will present information relating to advanced development projects aimed at the creation of tools that can be applied to the analysis, design and evaluation of space vehicles and operations, and future space vehicle design concepts. The projects are: “The voice of the customer” - a description of the multiple pathways used to obtain astronaut information and opinion; International Space Station emergency medical procedure evaluation and redesign; the “magic windows” project which provides a multifunctional display system for operations and personal use on space vehicles and analogs; analytical approaches to digitally scanned crew member anthropometric data; crew member activity measurement, modeling and scheduling; evaluation of the upgraded displays of the Space Shuttle cockpit; and finally a description of the updated, electronic version of the space human factors engineering database.

Human Factors Assessment of International Space Station (ISS) Medical Equipment Packs

2005 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Danielle Paige Smith ◽  
Vicky E. Byrne ◽  
Cynthia Hudy ◽  
Mihriban Whitmore
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
International Space Station ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Medical Emergency ◽  
Medical Procedures ◽  
International Space ◽  
Medical Environment ◽  
Efficiency And Effectiveness ◽  
Clear Presentation

A human factors assessment was performed on several International Space Station (ISS) medical packs to evaluate the organization of items and provide recommendations for redesign. The overall goal was to recommend solutions that will improve the efficiency of identifying and locating items in the medical packs, thereby, potentially increasing the survival rate of crewmembers in the event of a medical emergency. Currently, each ISS crew remains on-orbit for six-month intervals. As there is not a standing requirement for a physician crewmember, the maintenance of crew health is dependant on individual crewmembers delivering care via telemedicine and their own limited training. In addition, medical procedures must be carried out within the limitations imposed by the unique physical environment of the space station. Given these challenges, the procedures and equipment designed to aid the crewmember in delivering that care should follow human-centered design principles in order to be as easy and simple to use as possible. The evaluation revealed six main categories of issues: Labeling, Location/Collocation of items, Clear Presentation of Information, Error Prevention, Stowage, and Equipment Design. Recommendations for each category are provided, and should be considered for efficiency and effectiveness in any medical environment.

International Space Station Robotic Systems Operations - a Human Factors Perspective

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy J. Currie ◽  
Brian Peacock
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
International Space Station ◽  
Situational Awareness ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Robotic Systems ◽  
Spatial Awareness ◽  
International Space ◽  
Critical Skills ◽  
Manipulator Design ◽  
Training Methodologies

Assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station (ISS) relies heavily on the use of extravehicular robotic systems. When fully assembled the ISS robotics complement will include three main manipulators, two small dexterous arms, and a mobile base and transporter system. The complexity and mobility of the systems and limited opportunities for direct viewing of the Space Station's exterior makes telerobotic operations an especially challenging task. Although fundamental manipulator design, control systems, and strategies for autonomous versus manual control vary greatly between the systems, commonality in the design of workstation controls and displays is considered essential to enhance operator performance and reduce the possibility of errors. Principal human factors opportunities are associated with workstation layout, human-computer interface considerations, adequacy of alignment cues for maintenance of safe approach corridors during mating tasks, spatial awareness challenges, integration of supplemental computer graphic displays to enhance operator global situational awareness, and training methodologies for preservation of critical skills during long-duration missions.

Use of Cautions and Warnings within International Space Station Procedures: When Too Much Information Becomes Risky

2007 ◽  
Vol 51 (20) ◽  
pp. 1435-1438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia M. Rando ◽  
Devanshi G. Patel ◽  
Laura E. Duvall ◽  
Lockheed Martin
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
International Space Station ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Space Station ◽  
Usability Evaluation ◽  
Foreign Object ◽  
International Space ◽  
Sample Set ◽  
Procedure Development

Working on the International Space Station (ISS) has uncovered several challenges in the prevention of human error and desensitization to hazard advisories. Although human-centered design strives to eliminate accidents, there are still many unknowns in long term space habitation. Specifically, during the last fourteen ISS Expeditions, the crew has indicated that cautions and warnings (C&Ws) were used inappropriately within procedures. Human factors and safety personnel reviewed all comments made during ISS debriefs and a sample set of procedures. Findings included: no human factors input in procedure development, inconsistencies in procedure development, unclear C&W standards, and overuse and misuse of C&Ws throughout procedures. A usability evaluation was conducted to assess C&W intuitiveness for a specific set of C&Ws: Touch Temperature, Shock, Electrostatic Discharge, Rack Rotation, and Foreign Object Debris. This work focuses on the review findings, usability evaluation results, recommendations to NASA, final implementation and application to industry.

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