The Boeing 787 Dreamliner – a Case Study in Large-Scale Design Integration

Abstract

The development of an all-new commercial transport airplane presents a unique opportunity for the practical application of human factors and ergonomics skills and methods in a large-scale engineering program. From satisfying the needs and desires of a widely diverse global user population that includes passengers, pilots, flight attendants, maintenance workers, ground service personnel, and factory workers; to ensuring that the human interface is appropriately addressed across the whole airplane, including a vast array of systems; the integration of human factors into the overall design process represents a significant challenge to the human factors' community. Successfully balancing key human interface parameters such as safety, usability, producibility, maintainability, and training along with other design parameters such as economic viability, airplane mission requirements, and physical design constraints like weight, drag, and volume is the goal of human system integration.