bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Investigation on Localization of Auditory Signals
Authors: Sundararajan K. , Deivanayagam K.
Published: January 2012

Information transmission from machine to man is a very critical factor in emergency situations. In such cases, it is often recommended that auditory signals be employed. However, if more than one type of emergency condition is likely to occur, it becomes necessary to properly code them for ease of perception and action. This paper will describe a study conducted to investigate the human ability to identify auditory stimulus. Three frequency levels (500 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 2000 Hz) and three intensity levels (50 db, 60db, and 70 db) were used. The results indicate that the subjects were more accurate when the source was in front rather than in the rear. Also left side location was found better than right side location. The data was further analyzed for the amount of information transmitted for the tested pure tones.
Human Productivity of Space Station
Authors: Willshire Kelli F.
Published: January 2012

NASA has been directed to establish a permanently manned Space Station within a decade. The Space Station will differ from previous space projects and missions in that it is to be designed for commercial as well as scientific endeavors over an indefinite period of time. In addition, long duration missions of 30 to 90 days and the use of non-career astronauts will be involved. Therefore, human productivity will be of increasing importance in order to make Space Station cost effective. Human productivity can be defined as the most efficient crew output possible, where the specification of the output varies with the task or activity. Human factors has a large impact on human productivity in the areas of interior architecture, crew support, crew activities, and intravehicular and extravehicular activities. These areas are addressed in this paper which describes NASA's Space Station Human Productivity Program, including work from several NASA centers.
An Automated Methodology for Conducting Human Factors Evaluations of Protective Garments
Authors: Gregoire Harv , Call Douglas W. , Omlie Cary Robb , Spicuzza Ronald J.
Published: January 2012

A technique has been developed to quantify the restrictions to aircrew mobility produced while wearing various Chemical-Biological Warfare (CBW) protective garments. Twelve range-of-motion movements of three body areas were analyzed: (1) vertical and horizontal movements of head, arm and torso; (2) Horizontal forearm adduction from elbow; (3) Vertical movement of upper leg from hip and lower leg from knee. All subjects performed a three-minute video-displayed psychomotor tracking task while wearing six different test garments. They also completed questionnaires on subjective assessments of comfort, mobility, and general acceptability. Two of the ensembles allowed considerably more mobility than the other four. Performance scores on the tracking task and aircrew subjective ratings agreed with the mobility ratings.
The Human Factors Usability Laboratory in Product Evaluation
Authors: Benel Denise CR. , Pain Richard F.
Published: January 2012

A wide variety of consumer products ranging from infant toys and furniture to home workshop tools to personal computers and software are intended for use by people of all sizes, abilities, and temperaments. Usability laboratories are dedicated to evaluating and improving the compatibility of people and the technology (products) they are expected to use on the job, in their hobbies, and at home. The purpose of the proposed interactive session is to demonstrate the concept of the usability laboratory. The session will deal with some of the human factors issues that designers and others concerned with consumer products need to be aware of. It will include practical advice on how to incorporate human factors into product design so that the product will be usable by the consumer. This will be accomplished by the use of posters and demonstrations that involve the evaluation of a sample of consumer products, including microcomputers and children's toys.
Anticipatory Adjustments during a Warning Interval: Cortical Negativity and Perceptual Sensitivity
Authors: Sanquist Thomas F.
Published: January 2012

Cortical negative afterwaves were recorded while subjects performed a warned signal detection task. Warning intervals of 500, 1200 and 1900 msec, and immediate and delayed responses were employed as experimental conditions. Detection sensitivity was best at the 1200 msec warning interval, which coincided with maximum cortical negativity. The response requirement manipulation had no effect on detection performance or brain wave amplitude. The results are interpreted as indicating an arousal based allocation of processing resources, indexed by cortical negativity.
Processing Inferences Derived from Event-Related Potential Measures in a Monitoring Task
Authors: Horst Richard L. , Munson Robert C. , Ruchkin Daniel S.
Published: January 2012

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from the scalp of subjects as they monitored changing digital readouts for values that went “out-of-bounds”. Workload was manipulated by varying the number of readouts that were monitored concurrently. The ERPs elicited by changes in the readouts showed long latency positivities that increased in amplitude, not only with the number of readouts monitored, but also with the number of monitored readouts that were “in danger” of going out-of-bounds. No effects were found due to the number of non-monitored readouts “in danger”. This evidence indicates that subjects (1) selectively attended to the monitored readouts and (2) processed the monitored readouts differently as the readouts approached the out-of-bounds levels to which an overt response was required.
American National Standard for Human Factors Engineering of Visual Display Terminal Workstations: A Report to the Society
Authors: Lynch Gene
Published: January 2012

The American National Standard for Human Factors Engineering of Visual Display Terminal Workstations, the first standard sponsored by the Human Factors Society, is in the final stages of acceptance as an American National Standard. This standard addresses the physical and perceptual aspects of the visual display terminal workstation as used in text processing, data entry, and data inquiry.

Standards take on many different forms and fill a variety of needs. Basically a standard provides a reference. Some standards are written so that two systems may be designed to complement each other or fit together. Lightbulbs and fixtures designed to the same standard will work together. In the case of human factors standards one half of the system is already designed, the human. The variety of the design of this part of the system requires that human factors standards identify the parameters to be considered and the corresponding measurement methods needed to insure that the equipment is designed to fit the individual human. A good solution needs to be based on the particular set of circumstances at hand. The voluntary standards method, known as the American National Standards, provides a vehicle for specifying the appropriate parameters and measurement methods while incorporating the necessary flexibility required to insure good designs for individuals.

The purpose of this panel session is to provide the society with an interactive session with representatives of the standards drafting committee. A brief history of the committee and its activities will be presented. The panelists will then describe the approach taken in each of the major sections, the mandatory requirements, and the elements the panelists consider to be of particular interest
An Evaluation of Two Methods for Assessment of MMH Activities
Authors: Aghazadeh F.
Published: January 2012

Two methods were evaluated for prediction of manual materials handling tasks using a bag as the container. In the first approach task variables of frequency and height of lift and dynamic strength of the subjects were used to predict lifting capacity of individuals for lifting bags from floor and knuckle height levels to shoulder height. The second approach utilized the same task variables along with several static strength measures. Evaluation of the developed models indicated that both approaches estimated lifting capacity with a reasonable degree of accuracy, however, the model containing the dynamic strength variable was found to predict lifting capacity with less error.
A Study of Intravenous Therapy Administration Errors
Authors: Rudov Melvin H. , Read Sandra L.
Published: January 2012

This paper reports a study of intravenous therapy errors conducted in five hospitals. Error rates ran between 1/3 to a little over 1 per patient day. The relationship between demographic, temporal, and personnel factors are discussed. The human engineering implications of these errors are listed.
Information Processing Load and the Event Rate Function in Sustained Attention
Authors: Lanzetta Thomas M. , Warm Joel S. , Dember William N. , Berch Daniel B.
Published: January 2012

One purpose of this study was to determine the functional relation between background event rate and performance efficiency for two types of vigilance tasks (simultaneous and successive discrimination tasks) which differ in the extent of information processing load imposed on the human operator. A second purpose was to compare preditions from two theories of vigilance concerning the consequences of introducing structural dissimilarity (heterogeneity) between critical signals and neutral events – Jerison's (1970) elicited observing rate hypothesis and Posner's (1978) pathway inhibition model. Signal detections generally declined with increments in event rate. However, the degrading effects of such increments emerged at a slower rate of stimulus repetition (12 to 24 events/min) for the successive than for the simultaneous (24 to 48 events/min) task. Signal detections also declined significantly over time. Consistent with Jerison's model, neither the effects of time or event rate were influenced by stimulus heterogeneity.
The Effects of Noise on Decision Making
Authors: Gawron Valerie J.
Published: January 2012

The effects of noise on decision-making performance was investigated. Thirteen subjects performed a decision task at three noise levels (55, 70, 85 A-weighted sound pressure levels in dB) and two levels of task complexity (single and dual task). Subjects were required to maximize their performance in five payoff contingencies. β and d' measures were compared in quiet (45 A-weighted sound pressure level in dB) and noise-stress (85 A-weighted sound pressure level in dB) conditions. There was a robust but not statistically reliable effect of noise level β values.
Interactions between Stimulus-Response Compatibility and Task Variables: Unexpected Effects
Authors: Engelman William R. , Green Joanne
Published: January 2012

The nature of stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) effects related to left-right finger position within the hand were examined in two experiments requiring a centrally-located unimanual choice response. Experiment 1 Involved a letter recognition task with stimull presented at either a small (3.3 degrees) or large (13.3 degrees) visual angle. Effects consistent with finger position spatial compatibility were observed when stimull occured at the small visual angle, but not for the large visual angle. Experiment 2 examined the generalizability of these effects in a same-different letter matching task. The results indicate that spatial compatibility effects related to finger position can effect performance of more cognitive tasks, even when stimulus postion is irrelevant to determining the correct response. However, the effects vary with changes in stimulus conditions and task demands. There is a need for additional research examining the robustness of different types of SRC effects across tasks and across conditions varying stimulus and/or response eccentricity.
Human Factors Review for Nuclear Power Plant Severe Accident Sequence Analysis
Authors: Krois P. A. , Haas P. M
Published: January 2012

The paper discusses work conducted to: (1) support the severe accident sequence analysis of a nuclear power plant transient based on an assessment of operator actions, and (2) develop a descriptive model of operator severe accident management. Operator actions during the transient are assessed using qualitative and quantitative methods. A function oriented accident management model provides a structure for developing technical operator guidance on mitigating core damage and preventing radiological release.
Human Factors in Early System Development
Authors: Malone Thomas B.
Published: January 2012

This paper begins with a discussion of the problems resulting from the fact that human factors requirements are not considered early in the development of systems. The requirements to integrate human factors concerns into the system acquisition process are then described, followed by a definition of how human factors can and should be implemented in the earliest stages of system development.
A Methodology for Evaluating Application Software
Authors: Cohill Andrew M. , Gilfoil David M. , Pilitsis John V.
Published: January 2012

A methodology for evaluating applications software is proposed, using five different categories of criteria. Three of the categories, functionality, usability, and performance, are tailored for each class of applications software. The other two categories, support and documentation, have generic criteria that can be applied to all types of application software. After a software package has been scored according to the criteria of a category, statistical analysis is used to convert the raw data to a numeric score that can be used to make between-product comparisons. The methodology has been successfully tested with UNIX-based* word processing and data base packages.
Isokin: A Quantitative Model of the Kinesthetic Aspects of Spatial Habitability
Authors: Lantrip David B.
Published: January 2012

This paper describes a model of the kinesthetic aspect of spatial habitability which is being developed for NASA as a means of assessing the volumetric requirements for the space station. The quantitative model, called ISOKIN, defines the level and type of constraint that a confining space imposes on its occupant. An activity will be constrained either in the ways it can be performed (that is, performer adaption may be required) or in the positions where it can be performed (no adaption required). This model provides both the analyst and the designer the means to operationalize and measure formerly intuitive notions about the suitability of various proposed space station internal configurations for the activities being planned for them.
The Super Cockpit and its Human Factors Challenges
Authors: Furness Thomas A.
Published: January 2012

A revolutionary virtual crew station concept titled the “Super Cockpit” is introduced with its applications and operational advantages. Unique aspects of the virtual information portrayal and interactive medium of the super cockpit are discussed leading to a need for new areas of human factors research and engineering.
Muscle Strength Simulations Using the Articulated Total Body Model
Authors: Freivalds Andris , Jung Eui S. , Dick Randall
Published: January 2012

Further developments are presented on a dynamic three–dimensional strength model that may be useful for evaluating musculoskeletal stresses incurred during manual materials handling tasks. The model being developed is a modification of the Articulated Total Body (ATB) Model originally developed by Calspan Corp. for the study of human body dynamics during automobile crashes. Refinements were introduced by Freivalds and Kaleps (1984) to account for a human neuromusculature. Further refinements now include orderly recruitment patterns, differential motor units, active state function and fatigue. Simulations of squat lifting and level running were performed with the ATB Model. Both of these cases indicate the potential of a muscularized three–dimensional biomechanical model to simulate human responses in a variety of conditions.
Effects of Benign Experiences on the Perception of Risk
Authors: Karnes Edward W. , Leonard S. David , Rachwal Glen
Published: January 2012

In accordance with simple reinforcement theory it is assumed that experiences with potentially dangerous events that do not result in harm to an individual will tend to extinguish the individual's perception of the risk associated with those events. The purpose of the experiment described here is to evaluate the extent to which experiences that have not resulted in injury or concern for injury may affect the perception of risk associated with warnings. In line with theory, those persons having had experience with all terrain vehicles (ATVs) showed less perception of risk than those without such experience. Further, the efficacy of warnings against use with passengers varied as a function of prior passenger experience.
A Trilevel Interaction Design Model for Pilot Part-Task Training
Authors: Roman Jorge H. , Pistonc Ronald A. , Stoddard Mary L.
Published: January 2012

Development of effective, scenario-driven training exercises requires both an instructional design and a delivery system that match the subject domain and needs of the students. The Training Research Team at Los Alamos National Laboratory conducts research and development of prototype training systems. One of the Team's efforts is a joint research project, supported with funding and behavioral science guidance from the Army Research Institute, to develop a prototype part-task trainer for student helicopter pilots. The Team designed a “trilevel interaction” model and a Level III interactive videodisc delivery system for this project. The model, founded on instructional and psychological theory, should be transferable to other domains where part-task training is appropriate.
Occupant Number vs. Occupant Density: A Study in Proxemics
Authors: Laviana Joseph E. , Rohles Frederick H.
Published: January 2012

Implicit to the study of proxemics is the relationship between occupant number and occupant density. In this study density referred to an objective measure of the number of people per unit area of space. Four attributes of the occupied space were examined: occupant dissatisfaction, perceived spaciousness, thermal acceptance and odor. The experiment was conducted under controlled environmental conditions in which temperature, humidity and clothing were held constant. In addition, the area per subject was uniform (40 sq. ft.), and the volume per subject was either 320 cu. ft. or 400 cu. ft. (ceiling height 8 ft. and 10 ft.) and the number of subjects per test was either 2, 4, or 6. The results demonstrated that the four attributes of the environment noted above were not affected and within the context of this experiment, 40 sq. ft. per person is perceived the same regardless of the number or gender of the occupants, or the volume per subject. Implications for future investigations are discussed.
Modeling of Manual Handling in Unusual Postures
Authors: Selan J.L. , Ayoub M.M. , Smith J.L. , Chen H.C. , Lee Y.H. , Kim H.K.
Published: January 2012

Subjects performed a series of psychophysical lifting tasks simulating USAF aircrew maintenance activities. The tasks involved lifting while in unusual postures: lying prone, supine, sideways, and standing. Maximum acceptable weights on the tasks were then related to performance on a series of isoinertial and isometric strength tests. High correlations were obtained between lifting task and strength test performance. Prediction models developed indicated that an isoinertial 1.8 m lift and isometric one hand pull were the best predictors of task performance. The prediction models can be used in the establishment of design weights for aircrew maintenance tasks.
Comparison of Lifting Capabilities of Industrial and Non-Industrial Populations
Authors: Mital Anil
Published: January 2012

The major objectives of the work presented here were to determine the differences between lifting capabilities of industrial and non-industrial populations by collecting experimental data under identical conditions and to quantify the patterns of such differences. Using the psychophysical approach, male and female industrial and non-industrial workers performed 36 variations of manual lifting task. The major findings of the study were: (i) generally the responses of non-industrial workers to task variables is very similar to the responses of industrial workers, (ii) overall, the lifting capability of non-industrial workers is significantly lower than the lifting capability of industrial workers.
Driver Behavior at Intersections: An Analysis of Accident Related Variables
Authors: Grubb Monty G.
Published: January 2012

An intersection driving simulation was created by providing research participants with a video display of approaching intersections in a 120 degree visual field. Six groups were formed according to age and sex. All participants viewed 14 different intersections containing varied traffic control devices.

Individual workload was assessed in three response modes: performance, subjective, and physiological. A MANOVA was performed on six dependent variables in the 3 (age) X 2 (sex) design. Results indicate significant main effects for both age and sex.
The Consideration of Human Factors in the Design of a Backing-Up Warning System
Authors: Duchon James C. , Laage Linneas W.
Published: January 2012

Despite the use of automatic backing-up warning systems, large mobile equipment is still involved in reversing collisions, causing injuries, fatalities, and property damage. This paper discusses specific human factors that contribute to the failure of this type of system as used on front-end loaders in the surface mining industry. The use of the backing-up automatic alarm causes the operators to lose the perception of responsibility for vigilant behavior, while the ground crew predictably become habituated to the alarm. These human factors and their interaction with the noise pollution created by the alarms sets up a potentially unsafe condition. Bureau of Mines' research into discriminating backup warning systems could provide an effective alternative to the conventional backup alarm.
Examining Consistent/Varied Mapping Training Distinctions in Complex Tasks
Authors: Myers Greta L. , Fisk Arthur D.
Published: January 2012

In the present paper, the distinction between consistent and varied mapping typically found in the visual search laboratory is described and assessed. The meaningfulness of the CM/VM distinction in relation to complex industrial tasks is experimentally evaluated. It is concluded that automatic and controlled processing theory could potentially make a significant contribution to the development of enhanced training programs in industry.
Man/System Integration Standards for Space Systems
Authors: Miller Keith H.
Published: January 2012

This paper presents an overview of the Man/System Integrations Standards (MSIS) program. The standards to be developed by this program provide specific information for use in the design of space systems to ensure proper integration of the man/system interface requirements with those of other aerospace disciplines. These man/system interface requirements apply to the launch, re-entry, on-orbit, and extraterrestrial space environments. Concise design considerations, design requirements, and design examples are provided. The standards are being developed with broad government and industry collaboration via a Government/Industry Advisory Group (GIAG) that meets 4 times with the contractor team to critique the standards as they are being developed. The documentation (to be released in January 1987) will consist of four hardcopy volumes, a videotape, and a relational database. The videotape uses in-space film footage from Gemini, Skylab, and the shuttle to illustrate specific man/system integration problems (scenes are cross-referenced to the MSIS topics). The relational database provides a means for storing and manipulating the MSIS data.
Display Proximity in Multicue Information Integration
Authors: Barnett Barbara J. , Wickens Christopher D.
Published: January 2012

This study investigates the ability of an individual to integrate probabilistic information from a number of sources, focusing particularly on the extent to which this integration is influenced by display proximity in space, time, and object configuration. In support of the principle of compatibility of proximity, the data indicated that performance was clearly ordered according to the degree of display integrality, those in the more integral rectangle conditions were significantly better at integration than those in the bargraph condition. Proximity of space had little effect upon performance, while proximity in time significantly improved performance in all three format conditions. Speed stress significantly hindered performance in all three format conditions. Finally, memory for isolated, unintegrated attributes of a cue was not harmed by the increasing integrality of the rectangle formats.
Some Successful Applications of Human Factors
Authors: Klemmer Edmund T.
Published: January 2012

Much of the most successful applied human factors work is unknown outside of the groups which perform the studies because the work is done in an environment which reinforces direct contribution to the efforts of the employer rather than contributions to the professional literature. Propriety considerations often pose problems even when the author is willing to write papers for professional societies. The present paper briefly describes work done at the Bell Laboratories which had significant positive impact on products produced but which is little known to others. The work relates to products and services already released and none is now propriety. The purpose of describing these studies is to show the variety of approaches which have been successful and to demonstrate the potential contribution of applied human factors work. I have tried to give credit to the principal investigators in each study but, of course, there were many others who made contributions to each project.
Determination of Time-Sharing Efficiency in an Industrial Visual Inspection Task
Authors: Gibson David C. , Goldberg Joseph H.
Published: January 2012

This pilot experiment examined two variations of a secondary task used in determining the time-sharing ability of an inspector searching for defects on printed circuit boards. The methodology incorporated mathematical PRF and POC models, revealing that greater efficiencies were achieved with the easier secondary task. The inspection task was determined to be data-limited. Results will be used in the design of a mental workload study in visual inspection.
Preparation for Expert Witnessing in Products Liability and Related Litigation
Authors: Irwin Charles Holmes
Published: January 2012

The rapid growth of products liability and related litigation is common knowledge. The social, scientific and educational significance of this growth imparts great importance to the subject matter of this symposium. Specifically, there exists a clear requirement that our professional involvement in litigation meet the highest professional standards both with respect to our science and with respect to the law. Special problems and risks arise vis a vis science with its standards of objectivity and impartiality and the adversial aspect of the legal process. In a sense science and law are almost antithetical. Whereas in science individuals proceed with impartiality and objectivity, in law individuals adopt adversarial roles and only the court is expected to be impartial and objective. Herein lie risks for which rigorous preparation is essential in order to participate in this demanding and exciting pursuit.

In this syposium we will share the experience of several distinguished forensic experts in human factors. Each one brings years of participation in the several phases of forensic practice as well as participation in the professional exchange within the Human Factors Society. This symposium will emphasize requirements for practice in the forensic speciality and will advance those requirements in terms of: 1) academic preparation, including essentials of governing statute and case law relating to warranties, products liability, and personal injury; 2) investigation and analysis of the engineering events and design decisions at issue and; 3) civil litigation including response to such discovery procedures as interrogatories and depositions as well as adversarial cross-examination.

Dr. Martin Kurke, psychologist and attorney, will discuss the broader aspects of preparation touching upon the historical development of scientific forensics leading through forensic psychology to academic and institutional foundations of forensic human factors. A more specific presentation by Dr. Melvin Rudov will discuss the practioner in terms of the tools required for successful practice and the phases in litigation for which the expert must be prepared, including analysis, discovery and testimony. Dr. Loma Middendorf will focus in greater detail upon her experience with formulation of integrated expert opinion based upon valid, reliable data which may be adequately defended during rigorous cross-examination designed to impeach or demonstrate witness bias, incompetence and possible perjury.

Certification and licensing will be a subordinate but important topic of interest to the three presenters as well as to Dr. Arnold Small who has consented to be the discussant.
Human Factors in Sport: An Overview
Authors: Doolittle T. L.
Published: January 2012

This paper addresses the role that the Human Factors Society should play in fostering research in sport and recreation. The fields of sports science and human factors are discussed as to their similarities and differences in terms of methodologies, interests, and accomplishments. A symbiotic relationship is proposed that would best be served by the formation of a Technical Group (TG) on Sport and Recreation. It is proposed that such a TG would serve as a conduit to other organizations already concerned with sports science. Exemplary areas within sport and recreation that are in need of supplemental research by human factors scientists are identified.
Evaluation of Discomfort Experienced while Operating Cadd Worksystems
Authors: Attwood Dennis
Published: January 2012

The study reported herein compared the design of workstations used by Computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) operators and those used by each of two other occupational groups against reports of physical and visual discomforts. Evaluation Procedures included subjective reports of discomfort and objective analyses of individual workstations. Results indicated that body discomfort varied among occupational groups and that particular discomforts could be linked to specific aspects of workstation design.
Case Study: Developing an Operations Concept for Future Air Traffic Control
Authors: Murphy Elizabeth D. , Coleman William D. , Stewart Lisa J. , Sheppard Sylvia B.
Published: January 2012

A task identification, sequencing, and analysis process defined the operational requirements of automated capabilities proposed to support human decision making in future air traffic control. Active and continuous user group involvement was a key feature of this process. Results indicate that information necessary for effective computer-human interaction design can be generated in the early phases of system development. Early application of structured engineering techniques and human factors methods leads to a better understanding of the proposed capabilities and to better communication between the users and designers of a system.
Cockpit Cursor Control: Effects of Task Loading and Controller Location
Authors: Tufano Daniel R. , Gwynne J. Thomas
Published: January 2012

Current trends in tactical aircraft missions and avionics require two-dimensional control of a display cursor by the pilot. This study varied cursor controller location (left hand: throttle; right hand: stick grip) and task loading (concurrent flight control) in a 2 × 2 within-subjects design. Nine test pilots, seated in a laboratory cockpit mockup, used an isometric rate controller to acquire targets on a head-up display with a cursor. This task was performed either alone or concurrently with compensatory pitch/roll tracking. There were no main effects for hand used (controller location) on any performance measures, nor did this factor interact with any other. As such, there is no evidence of design constraints on cursor controller location. Task loading increased time to initiate cursor control trials by 0.5 sec (p<0.01) and target acquisition time by 2.2 sec (p< 0.01). Diagonally located targets took 0.92 sec longer to acquire than targets on the vertical or horizontal axes (p<0.05), and were more susceptible to task loading interference (p<0.05). The “diagonal problem” and task loading decrements appear to be central effects and may not be amenable to equipment design solutions. These perceptual-motor limitations will constrain the allocation of mission functions to the display cursor, which are time-critical and must be performed during air combat maneuvers.
Safer. Easier to Use, and More Comfortable Aircraft Boarding Chairs
Authors: Norris Dana , Wiklund Michael
Published: January 2012

Aircraft boarding chairs, devices used to carry passengers who cannot walk onto airplanes, have been cited for safety problems. The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board retained the services of human factors specialists to examine aircraft boarding chairs. The objective was to develop a federal Advisory Standard aimed at improving aircraft boarding chair safety through better design and use. Boarding chairs were studied in a static state and while in use. This permitted a comprehensive evaluation of the physical features of the boarding chairs and the “human-machine” interactions.
Suitability of Voice-Activated Hand Controls for the Physically Handicapped Driver
Authors: Vail Rachel E.
Published: January 2012

A research project was conducted to investigate the peripheral components of the driving task for physically handicapped individuals. A systematic analysis of the subcomponents and various adaptive devices was undertaken to define the minimum requirements for successful operation of a vehicle. Selected results of the task analysis, the minimum requirement determinations, and recommendations for the use of voice-activated controls are described.
Modeling the Cognitive Complexity of Visual Displays
Authors: Eggleston Robert G. , Chechile Richard A. , Fleischman Rebecca N.
Published: January 2012

An approach for measuring the cognitive complexity of visual display formats is presented. The approach involves modeling both the knowledge that can be extracted from a format and the knowledge an operator brings to a task. A semantic network formalism is developed to capture task-relevant knowledge, from which four orthogonal predictor measures of cognitive complexity are derived. In an experiment, seven different avionic missions, performed with the aid of a horizontal situation display, were studied, and three of the predictor measures were found to correlate significantly with observed task difficulty. The results indicate that a semantic network formalism can be used to produce an objective metric of format quality in terms of cognitive complexity.
Manprint Applications for Design of Advanced Armored Weapon Systems
Authors: Malone Thomas B. , Heasly Christopher C. , Waldeisen Lewis E. , Hayes Timothy J.
Published: January 2012

As military systems become more advanced, more capable, and more sophisticated, they often become more complex. Of primary concern to the human factors specialist is the development of advanced control and display concepts, and application of reasonable tradeoff studies which will guide, if not drive the assessment of these concepts. Similarly, when confronted with conflicting standards and specifications, the human factors engineer must be able to effectively reconcile these discrepancies. Generally the issues pit system constraints (i.e., complexity and development and/or life cycle costs) against operator performance requirements or criteria. The principal objective of this paper is to identify and detail human factors issues requiring consideration when developing command and control concepts for advanced armored military vehicles within the Army's MANPRINT initiative. This paper draws on the authors' experience and expertise in the design and development of armored vehicles to point out the tradeoff considerations and processes necessary in designing complex military systems.
Design Engineers and the Design Process: Decision Strategies and Human Factors Literature
Authors: Klein Gary A. , Brezovic Christopher P.
Published: January 2012

The types of human perception and performance information that training device designers need in making design decisions were studied to identify the types of human performance data needed to make these decisions. A total of 50 experienced designers were studied. For a subset of 39 of these designers, the interviews focused on critical design decisions where there was a need for human perception and performance data. The utility of the sources used in the decision was assessed and showed the present technical literature database of little value in the problem solving of the designers.

The data collected indicated systematic decision making strategies were used in a minority of cases. Instead, there was a heavy reliance on informal experiments and analogous cases for guidance in resolving design questions, The implications are that human factors specialists can have a stronger influence on design through identification of analogous cases, and participating in prototype studies than by identifying basic research findings.
Visual Changes among Older Workers: Implications for Workstation Design
Authors: Briggs Raymond P.
Published: January 2012

Older workers consist of those who have experienced age related changes in vision or visual impairment. Age related visual changes may be compensated for largely through modifications of workstation lighting. Visual impairment requires much more extensive and individual redesign based on a careful task evaluation. The role of visual assessment is discussed.
Reference by Name vs. Location in a Computer Filing System
Authors: Dumais Susan T. , Wright Annette L.
Published: January 2012

The traditional name-based approach to storing and retrieving information in computers in now being supplemented on some systems by a spatial alternative – often driven by an office or desktop metaphor. These systems attempt to take advantage of the important role that location plays in retrieving objects in the real world (i.e. we must know where things are in order to retrieve them). This paper extends recent research by Jones and Dumais (1986) which used paper and pencil simulations to compare reference by name versus location. A computer filing system was developed in which folders could be stored and retrieved using combinations of location and name cues. Accuracy of location reference in a Location-only condition was initially comparable to that in a Name-only condition, but declined much more rapidly with increases in the number of objects. Adding location to name information did not improve retrieval accuracy, but was costly in terms of initial specification time. These results call into question the generality of spatial metaphors for information retrieval applications.
Why is Reading Slower from CRT Displays than from Paper
Authors: Gould John D. , Alfaro Lizette , Finn Rich , Haupt Brian , Minuto Angela , Salaun Josiane
Published: January 2012

Experiments, including our own (Gould et al., 1984; 1986), have shown that people read more slowly from CRT displays than from paper. A series of experiments shows that the explanation centers on the image quality of the characters. Reading speeds, equivalent to those on paper, have been found for CRT displays containing character fonts that resemble those on paper (rather than dot matrix fonts, for example), that have a polarity of dark characters on a light background, that are anti-aliased (i.e., contain grey level), and that are shown on displays with relatively high resolution (e.g., 1000 × 800).
An Analysis of Grasp Force Degradation with Commercially Available Gloves
Authors: Cochran David J. , Albin Thomas J. , Bishu Ram R. , Riley Michael W.
Published: January 2012

Excessive force has been indicated as a causal factor in repetitive motion related occupational diseases such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendinitis, and tenosynovitis. When gloves are worn, grasp capabilities may be compromised causing more force to be exerted. The objective of this research was to evaluate several brands and styles of gloves. Specifically, this evaluation determined the degradation of maximum grasping force for each of the gloves tested versus a bare-handed grasp. The results of this study indicate how much each glove inhibits grasp and a hierarchy of gloves is formed using the percentage of grasp degradation for each glove when it is compared with a bare-handed grasp.
Development and Evaluation of a Proportional Displacement Sidearm Controller for Helicopters
Authors: Kruk R.V. , Runnings D.W. , King M. , Lippay A.L. , McKinnon G.M.
Published: January 2012

Associated with the development of fly-by-wire control systems for use in helicopters has been the prospect of replacing all of the current manual flight controls in the cockpit with a single sidearm controller. For the most part, the technology available for this concept has consisted of variations of force sensing sidearm controllers. The human proprioceptive system, however, does not perform optimally in force discrimination and stable maintenance of force outputs. One consequence of this is that operator feedback with respect to direction and magnitude of control input with force sensing manual control systems is relatively poor. An alternative approach applying proportional displacement sensing rather than force sensing was developed and evaluated via laboratory studies and flight tests in a research helicopter. The results to date indicate that pilot workload and performance with a displacement sensing controller are equivalent to conventional controls and superior to a force sensing controller across a wide spectrum of flight conditions and maneuvers. All four control functions (i.e., roll, pitch, yaw, and collective) were in one hand in both the force and displacement sensing configurations. A sidearm controller utilizing displacement sensing rather than force sensing retains most of the advantages of the latter (e.g., simplicity, compactness) while offering superior compatibility with human operator sensorimotor characteristics.
Study, Development, and Design of a Mouse
Authors: Hodes Diane , Akagi Kenichi
Published: January 2012

A series of research studies were conducted to develop design criteria for a general purpose mechanical input device. The design criteria and parameters were established with ergonomic studies which included task analysis, competitive analysis and human performance testing. By taking a leadership role in the production issues, Human Factors engineers were successful in having the results of their research implemented into a new design. This report is a case study which offers some insight into methodological and design issues associated with producing an ergonomically designed product.
Recognition of Synthesized, Compressed Speech in Noisy Environments
Authors: Gardner Daryle Jean , Barrett Bryan , Bonneau John Robert , Doucet Karen , VanderWeyden Prosper , Dresel K. Michael
Published: January 2012

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the recognition of synthesized, compressed speech under helicopter noise vs. ambient noise conditions. Subjects performed an isolated word recognition task for stimuli generated by the VOTAN V-5000A speech synthesizer/recognizer. Results indicated that recognition performance, both in terms of percentage correct and average response time, deteriorated as a function of speech compression and level of noise. Implications of these results for the employment of compressed, synthesized speech warning systems in rotary wing aircraft are discussed.
Usability Testing of Screen Design: Beyond Standards, Principles, and Guidelines
Authors: Schell David A.
Published: January 2012

Developers are encouraged to adhere to standards and follow principles and guidelines when designing screens. Each has its place and its limitations in designing screens. Because of the limited research behind current standards and because each product involves many considerations, just applying today's standards, principles, and guidelines does not guarantee good screen design. Designers should also test screen design with users in a usability test laboratory.

This paper discusses the importance of conducting laboratory usability testing. It focuses on the role of usability testing in the process of refining screen design. The paper also presents some of the major advantages that usability testing offers over other methods of improving screen design.
Human Factors Engineering Simulation Methodology
Authors: Storey Brett A.
Published: January 2012

This report describes a methodology of simulation research which is designed to accomplish requirements of a human factors engineering simulation, plan. This approach, accompanied by detailed test plans and schedules will fulfill the data item DI-H-7052 (Human Engineering Dynamic Simulation Plan) for intended use of dynamic simulation techniques in support of human engineering analysis, design support and test and evaluation. This methodology will cover the need for dynamic simulation, evaluation techniques, procedures and guidelines, and the behavioral, subjective and physiological methods recommended for use in human engineering evaluations.
Developing Methods for Assessing the Performance of Speech Synthesis and Recognition Systems
Authors: Pisoni David B. , Nusbaum Howard C.
Published: January 2012

As speech I/O technology develops and improves, there is an increased need for standardized methods to systematically assess the performance of these systems. At the present time, speech synthesis and speech recognition technologies are at different levels of maturation and, accordingly, the procedures for testing the performance of these systems are at different stages of development. In the present paper, we describe the results of testing several text-to-speech systems using traditional intelligibility measures. In addition, we outline the design and philosophy of an automated testing procedure for measuring the performance of isolated utterance speaker-dependent speech recognition systems.
Design Guidelines and the Human Factors of Interface Design
Authors: Tijerina Louis
Published: January 2012

The proliferation of computer systems in recent years has prompted a growing concern about the human factors of interface design. Industrial and military organizations have responded by supporting studies in user-computer interaction and, more recently, products which might aid in the design of interfaces. One type of design aid which attempts to make findings of user-computer interface (UCI) research available to the system designer is the interface design guidelines document. This paper reviews literature about the design process and how design guidelines or standards might fit into that activity. Suggestions are offered about where future research and development might be directed in order to enhance the use of guidelines in the interface design process and so enhance the final product as well.
Panel Discussion on Activities of NAS/NRC Committee on Human Factors: Solicitation of HFS Member Suggestions and Priorities for Research
Authors: Sheridan Thomas B. , Deutsch Stanley
Published: January 2012

This report briefly describes the origins, purposes, and membership of the Committee on Human Factors (COHF) of the National Academy of Sciences/ National Research Council (NAS/NRC). Completed studies and studies in progress are described. The objective of the panel is to elicit comments and suggestions regarding current COHF activities and to discover what are HFS members' priorties for research.