Human Performance Assessment of a Prototype Multimodal Naval Command Center

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (23) ◽  
pp. 1886-1889 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lawrence J. Hettinger ◽  
Bart J. Brickman ◽  
James McKinney
Keyword(s):  
Situation Awareness ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Human In The Loop ◽  
Functional Aspects ◽  
Command Center ◽  
User Centered

A user-centered design philosophy attaches primary importance to human-machine system performance as the key criterion in assessing the operational utility of complex systems. When the system under consideration is uniquely novel and emphasizes the use of relatively immature technologies, system validation must occur at a number of points in the design process. Particularly in these situations, human-system performance testing must inform engineering development throughout the entire design cycle, and not just at its conclusion. In this paper we describe an empirical effort designed to validate novel technical approaches to the design of a naval command center intended to support high levels of tactical performance in a severely reduced personnel environment. Using a human-in-the-loop simulation, we assessed the initial validity of our design concepts by measuring individual and team performance in realistic simulated tasks. By analyzing metrics associated with operational system performance, operator workload and situation awareness, we were able to identify functional aspects of the design, as well as those that needed further user-centered development

scholarly journals How User-Centered Design Supports Situation Awareness for Complex Interfaces

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-35
Author(s):  
Jacob D. Oury ◽  
Frank E. Ritter
Keyword(s):  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Traffic Control ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Design Philosophy ◽  
System States ◽  
Machine Systems ◽  
User Centered

AbstractThis chapter moves the discussion of how to design an operation center down a level towards implementation. We present user-centered design (UCD) as a distinct design philosophy to replace user experience (UX) when designing systems like the Water Detection System (WDS). Just like any other component (e.g., electrical system, communications networks), the operator has safe operating conditions, expected error rates, and predictable performance, albeit with a more variable range for the associated metrics. However, analyzing the operator’s capabilities, like any other component in a large system, helps developers create reliable, effective systems that mitigate risks of system failure due to human error in integrated human–machine systems (e.g., air traffic control). With UCD as a design philosophy, we argue that situation awareness (SA) is an effective framework for developing successful UCD systems. SA is an established framework that describes operator performance via their ability to create and maintain a mental model of the information necessary to achieve their task. SA describes performance as a function of the operator’s ability to perceive useful information, comprehend its significance, and predict future system states. Alongside detailed explanations of UCD and SA, this chapter presents further guidance and examples demonstrating how to implement these concepts in real systems.

scholarly journals Initiators and Triggering Conditions for Adaptive Automation in Advanced Small Modular Reactors

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katya L. Le Blanc ◽  
Johanna H. Oxstrand
Keyword(s):  
Situation Awareness ◽  
System Performance ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Hybrid Methods ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Physiological Measurement ◽  
Adaptive Automation ◽  
Small Modular Reactors ◽  
Levels Of Automation ◽  
Triggering Mechanisms

It is anticipated that Advanced Small Modular Reactors (AdvSMRs) will employ high degrees of automation. High levels of automation can enhance system performance, but often at the cost of reduced human performance. Automation can lead to human out-of the loop issues, unbalanced workload, complacency, and other problems if it is not designed properly. Researchers have proposed adaptive automation (defined as dynamic or flexible allocation of functions) as a way to get the benefits of higher levels of automation without the human performance costs. Adaptive automation has the potential to balance operator workload and enhance operator situation awareness by allocating functions to the operators in a way that is sensitive to overall workload and capabilities at the time of operation. However, there still a number of questions regarding how to effectively design adaptive automation to achieve that potential. One of those questions is related to how to initiate (or trigger) a shift in automation in order to provide maximal sensitivity to operator needs without introducing undesirable consequences (such as unpredictable mode changes). Several triggering mechanisms for shifts in adaptive automation have been proposed including: operator initiated, critical events, performance-based, physiological measurement, model-based, and hybrid methods. As part of a larger project to develop design guidance for human-automation collaboration in AdvSMRs, researchers at Idaho National Laboratory have investigated the effectiveness and applicability of each of these triggering mechanisms in the context of AdvSMR. Researchers reviewed the empirical literature on adaptive automation and assessed each triggering mechanism based on the human-system performance consequences of employing that mechanism. Researchers also assessed the practicality and feasibility of using the mechanism in the context of an AdvSMR control room. Results indicate that there are tradeoffs associated with each mechanism, but that some are more applicable to the AdvSMR domain than others. The two mechanisms that consistently improve performance in laboratory studies are operator initiated adaptive automation based on hierarchical task delegation and the Electroencephalogram (EEG)–based measure of engagement. Current EEG methods are intrusive and require intensive analysis; therefore it is not recommended for an AdvSMR control rooms at this time. Researchers also discuss limitations in the existing empirical literature and make recommendations for further research.

User-Centered Label Design Guidelines for Child Restraint Systems

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 1399-1403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chelsea Kramer ◽  
Shelley Kelsey ◽  
Christina Rudin-Brown ◽  
Robin Langerak ◽  
Andrea Scipione ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Design Standards ◽  
Safety Standards ◽  
Car Seats ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Child Restraint ◽  
User Centered

Child Restraint Systems (CRS; car seats) are designed to prevent injuries in motor vehicle collisions. CRS misuse and installation errors are common and may seriously reduce or nullify safety benefits. Poorly designed labels and instructions contribute to CRS misuse, and CRS manufacturers are not held to an evidence-based label design standard. This paper describes a user-centered design (UCD) and evaluation process for infant/child convertible (rear-facing/forward-facing) CRS installation labels. The labels focused on two primary tasks: installing a CRS into a vehicle and securing a child into the CRS. The label design concepts were based on literature identifying primary areas for CRS misuse, Human Factors and UCD principles, product warning and label design standards, and current Canadian and US motor vehicle safety standards. A follow-up study will evaluate the reduction of CRS installation errors based on the hypothesized enhanced label usability and effectiveness.

The Designer's Situation Awareness Toolkit: Support for User-Centered Design

2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 653-657 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra G. Jones ◽  
Mica R. Endsley ◽  
Mark Bolstad ◽  
Gil Estes
Keyword(s):  
Situation Awareness ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
User Centered

The designer's situation awareness toolkit: support for user-centered design

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra G. Jones ◽  
Mica R. Endsley ◽  
Mark Bolstad ◽  
Gil Estes
Keyword(s):  
Situation Awareness ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
User Centered

From Behavior to Design

2007 ◽  
pp. 108-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Forsman
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Task Analysis ◽  
Ethnographic Research ◽  
Design Team ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
User Research ◽  
Design Concepts ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
User Centered

This chapter explores user-centered design concepts such as personas, scenarios and task analysis. It argues that combining ethnographic research and psychographic data to create personas and scenarios produces powerful quantitative and qualitative evidence for product requirements. The chapter also illustrates ways the resulting interface specifications can be developed with fidelity to those initial requirements. This approach offers a substantive understanding of the nature of designing interfaces for a variety of contexts. Furthermore, the author hopes that by outlining and describing the various tools and techniques available to the user-centered design team, more complex and hybrid models of user research design will be developed for creating and studying information systems, as well as assist in the understanding of the intricate relationships that exist between different ways in producing user-center designed products as a whole.

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