Measuring The Time Course of Engineer Workload During Automation Mode Transitions

In current freight railroad operations, locomotive control is shared between the human engineer and automated energy management systems such as GE Trip Optimizer. Transitions between the manual and automatic modes temporarily increase engineer workload above the demands of the current operating situation. Using the average response time and average number of secondary visual attention task stimuli presented as proxy measures of workload, we tracked the time course of workload during the mode transitions for two types of automated control system. The average response times peaked immediately after the mode change. The average number of stimuli presented peaked just before the mode change. We conclude that this technique of measuring workload would be very useful in evaluating future automated systems concepts in a train simulator.

AI and the Future of the Machine Design

This article discusses advantages of artificially intelligent (AI) systems and future of machine design. Advances in AI, combined synergistically with other technologies such as cognitive computing, Internet of Things, 3D (or even 4D) printing, advanced robotics, virtual and mixed reality, and human–machine interfaces are transforming what, where, and how products are designed, manufactured, assembled, distributed, serviced, and upgraded. The research and related activities may ultimately result in the development of self-repairing, self-healing, self-adaptive, self-reconfiguring systems—and products that ‘operationally improve’ themselves. Instead of depreciating in value and capability, such products could improve over time. In time, the role of the human engineer may be that of a director rather than of a producer. Much of the technical aspect of engineering will be moved to the machine-based design system, just as one need not be able to operate a slide rule or complete an isometric drawing to be a successful engineer today.

Immersive Virtual Reality In Cable and Pipe Routing: Design Metaphors and Cognitive Ergonomics

In recent years there have been moves in industrial engineering towards greater automation through intelligent systems and this has resulted in replacing human expertise. In many cases the potential of intelligent systems has yet to be realised. This paper presents and discusses an alternative technological approach, which uses immersive virtual reality (VR) to support engineering design tasks. The approach focuses on the human engineer and acknowledges the importance of human input to the design process. The development of a metaphor based VR system is reported along with initial field trials, which compare VR with conventional CAD systems. The results show advantages of using VR over CAD and these are discussed along with strengths, weaknesses and future work.

Tactical Information GUI Engineering & Requirements Specification (TIGERS): A Top-Down HMI Engineering Process

The actual design of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for supervisory control systems largely falls to software developers, as opposed to qualified human engineers (HEs). This is due in large part to the disconnect among the primary players (operational subject matter experts (SMEs), software developers, & human engineers) and the lack of a suitable communications vehicle to bring all these critical perspectives to bear in the design process. We define a process, TIGERS (Tactical Information GUI Engineering & Requirements Specification), which provides a vehicle whereby SMEs can play a more active role in defining the system “process” from a top-down perspective. Together with a human engineer, the SME articulates the critical decisions to be made, the information, and information sources required to support each decision. This articulation uses “operational sequence diagrams” (OSDs) as the primary tool or medium for communication. Once the OSDs are so articulated, the human engineer can better define the optimal display format of that information, define the critical system events that impact that decision, and obtain validation reviews from the SME and developer. This articulation of the tasks, and information requirements are then sufficient to permit actual system design. Byproducts from this process are workload simulation parameters, explicit documentation of the HMI design process, and a traceability matrix to support design specification. We present this approach, provide two case studies, and identify how it can be applied to other systems development projects.

Good Human Engineering is Possible Using off-the-Shelf Component Products

More often than not, designers must use off-the-shelf components in creating a new equipment design. This is especially true when components relate to maintenance. Because much of this type of hardware is hidden from view, or is not considered part of the operating interface, components related to maintenance often are not selected with proper attention to human engineering considerations, either by the designer or the human engineer. Experience has shown that although many human engineering specialists specify general maintenance criteria, they do not follow through in selection of individual components that may be purchased off the shelf. This paper discusses typical design problems and recommends that human engineers take steps to keep up to date on new products, so that they will be in a better position to recommend those products which are better human-engineered.

The Human Engineer as an Agent of Change in Industrializing Nations

Social change is a learning process in which motivation, information and reinforcement are important variables. The human engineer can help design social action experiments both to induce change and to assess the effectiveness of alternative social change methods. A theory of social change is outlined and an action experiment is described to test the theory. The experiment uses communications media (e. g., television, radio, etc.) to reach remote communities, stimulate and reinforce change, and teach the behaviors necessary for change.