Crew Tasks Research Articles

Safety on automated passenger ships: Exploration of evacuation scenarios for coastal vessels

Many advancements are being made within the domain of autonomous shipping, motivating discussions of corresponding amendments to international safety regulations within the International Maritime Organization. Near-coastal passenger ferries are a form of sea traffic that has been the target of automation trials due to their short voyages and relatively protected waters of operation. This study investigated emergency evacuation from a range of such ships, covering both the current situation (focused on crew tasks, external rescue actors and interactions) and safety aspects that should be considered when automation brings about new work patterns, such as remote supervision and control. The study employed qualitative methods – interviews, field visits and a stakeholder workshop. Results give insight into ferry evacuation processes and challenges in their current form. In addition, results from the application of different automated evacuation scenarios suggest that more detailed studies are needed within the areas of remote operation situation awareness, remote operator and onboard personnel competencies, passenger safety information and communication, simple and robust evacuation equipment, technical means allowing assistance between autonomous and regular ships, and lastly, both procedures and interfaces for collaboration in a changing rescue network.

Smart Ships and implications in logistics chains a case study in Zeeuws Vlaanderen

Autonomous shipping is expected to be gradually adopted in the coming years. While many scientific studies in the field have focused on technological development, recent research has started to explore the effects of this innovation on the cargo transportation industry. This study investigates the economic dynamics that can drive logistics entrepreneurs to adopt teleoperated barges, a specific type of smart shipping. By conducting a case study of cargo transportation between two companies using roundtrips with trucks and barges, the study evaluates a modal shift to intermodal transport and looks into the conditions that are affected if barge teleoperation is implemented. A major conclusion of the study is that the transport distance, the equipment size, and the mix of captain-only tasks versus all the sets of crew tasks affect the expected economic gains that are obtained as a result of implementing smart shipping. In this case, a conventional modal shift to waterborne transport is already economically attractive. When opting to operate a smaller barge, teleoperation becomes preferable when a shore-control captain can only focus on exclusive sailing tasks and when more than one ship is monitored simultaneously.

Task impairment: A novel approach for assessing impairment during exploration-class spaceflight missions

Long duration deep space exploration missions require an innovative assessment for medical impairment. Task Impairment is a novel, dynamic, and mission-appropriate impairment paradigm which will replace Functional Impairment, the metric used currently by the NASA Integrated Medical Model for probabilistic risk assessment on the International Space Station. To derive Task Impairment, the Human Exploration of Mars: Preliminary List of Crew Tasks was used as the source of likely exploration mission tasks. Tasks were divided into one or more human system task categories (e.g., cardiopulmonary, cognitive, etc.). Subject matter experts across five medical specialties then reviewed medical conditions from the Informing Mission Planning via Analysis of Complex Tradespaces condition list to determine which of the 18 human system task categories were impaired in best and worst-case scenarios for treated and untreated variants of each condition. If a human system task category was determined to be affected by a condition, every task assigned to that category was presumed to be, at least partially, impaired. The resulting total tasks impaired by each medical condition were used to calculate Task Impairment values. As a direct assessment of a crewmember's ability to perform mission specific tasks, Task Impairment has the capacity to yield a higher fidelity measure of reduced crew ability than previous techniques. This technique is easily adapted to future proposed design reference missions and may be useful in defining mission phase-specific disability as well as a future medical loss of mission objectives metric.

Advanced Multimodal Interfaces Design Using Speech Control

The paper discusses methods of developing human-machine interfaces for air-craft cabins using voice control. The use of voice control is relevant for promising multimodal aviation interfaces. The features of methods for recognizing voice commands are considered, as well as system design of human-machine interfaces based on methods for analysing crew tasks.

Systems Engineering Approach to Human Factors aboard the Dream Chaser® Spaceplane

Sierra Space is currently developing the Dream Chaser cargo system, a reusable, autonomous, lifting body spaceplane designed to transport cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). Because ISS astronauts will conduct a variety of crew tasks aboard the spaceplane, a highly iterative and integrated systems engineering approach to human factors has been implemented on the Dream Chaser cargo system. This paper documents the rationale behind the decomposition of human factors requirements into specific subsystem specifications, it defines requirement applicability criteria based on four crew‐to‐hardware interaction types, it identifies every component the crew interacts with aboard the Dream Chaser cargo system and outlines the integrated verification approach to verifying all the human factors requirements.

A study of different metaheuristics to solve the urban transit crew scheduling problem

This paper explores different local search methods associated with the metaheuristic Iterated Local Search (ILS) to solve the Crew Scheduling Problem (CSP) of a Public Transportation System. The results from ILS were compared to those obtained in a previous work from the same authors that used the Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS). Initially, both metaheuristics were implemented using, as local search, the classical First Improvement Method, performing "guided" reallocation and exchange of crew tasks. The guided reallocation/exchange replaces random components from the classical method by searching the best position to insert the task. Further, the Very Large-scale Neighborhood Search (VLNS) technique was used as a local search procedure in the metaheuristics. This technique has substantially more neighbors than the 2-opt neighborhoods, since it performs a chain exchange of tasks from different crews. Both versions of metaheuristics were applied to a set of real data from a company operating in the city of Belo Horizonte, producing more economical schedules than those adopted by the company. The results are presented and discussed in this work.

Workload-oriented Flight Scenario for Evaluation of Pilot-aircraft Interaction

Flight scenarios for assessment of airworthiness and evaluation of aircraft are imperative for the aircraft industry. A flight scenario developing method which takes both aircraft airworthiness and evaluation into consideration was proposed in this paper. Four aspects of techniques, including configuration of dynamical relations among flight environment, weather conditions and aircraft considerations, decomposition of flight crew tasks, mapping of workload functions and factors onto operational tasks, and specification of window events and data items, were provided and integrated based on methodological guide. The method adopted an automated planning and scheduling mechanism which facilitates recurrence of flight conditions and detection of working status of pilot, so that flight scenarios developed could be utilized in various flight tests for fulfillment of flight tasks, implementation of workload measurement, and establishment of minimum flight crew; hence ergonomic evaluation of pilot-aircraft interaction could be carried out which are useful for assessment of airworthiness, analysis of human factors, human-centered design of aircraft, virtual prototyping and engineering of aircraft.

Team error analysis in a digitalized control room by using a novel crew reliability model

AbstractThis study is designed to develop a crew reliability model (CRM) for analyzing human errors in a digitalized control room. Human–system interfaces (HSIs) in the main control room (MCR) recently have changed most significantly with the digitalization of HSIs. Ensuring the safe operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is an important driver of these changes. Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) is one of the most common methods to respond to these changes. Analysis of the system, structure and components, as well as that of humans, is equally important in the PRA. PRA uses human reliability analysis (HRA) to assess human risk. HRA tools can be classified into first and second generations. However, neither of these generations emphasizes the investigation of crew tasks. This study thus further explores teamwork concepts in the HRA method. This study developed a crew reliability model. Finally, this study implemented an example of the digitalized MCR to describe the CRM procedures. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A computerized tool to evaluate the cognitive compatibility of the emergency operational procedures task flow

Nuclear power production is a safety-critical process where ultimate decisions lie with the operators. During postulated incidents and accidents, operators rely on emergency operational procedures (EOPs), which are the most used decision support tool. In this research we present a method to develop a computerized tool, based on the ACT-R cognitive architecture, to evaluate the logical task flow in the EOPs, verifying if the timing assumptions for operator's actions contained in the procedure scripts can be accomplished by the human operators. We apply the tool to model the nuclear power plant (NPP) operator crew tasks during a Loss of Coolant Accident (LOCA) simulation. To validate the procedural scripts, the tool calculates the time intervals that operators need to accomplish actions and compare these time intervals with the plant dynamic behavior during the evolution of the accident. The tool proved to be an adequate way to validate the logical task flow of the EOP analyzed, showing that operators have enough time to execute their actions and an adequate waiting (free) time between some of their actions. The developed tool provides a low cost alternative solution for NPPs owners and regulatory bodies to validate the logical task flow and quality issues of the hundreds of NPPs procedures.

Iethodology for Evaluation of Image Enhancement Techniques

A two-phased experimental design is proposed for evaluation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) image enhancement techniques. In SAR operation crew tasks are clearly differentiated into cognitive and psychomotor behaviors. Accordingly, Phase I static adaptive learning experiments are designed to assess cognitive (image interpretation) behavior, and Phase 2 real-time simulation experiments assess psychomotor behaviors associated with target designation and tracking. The two-phased paradigm can be effectively applied to any electro-optical image quality/enhancement design study. The two-phases are complementary and offer an improved and more cost effective methodology as contrasted to the use of classical ANOVA designs for the entire procedure.

Crew/Combat System Performance Requirements in the Operational Environment of Surface Effect Ships

ABSTRACTThe Surface Effect Ship (SES), using a relatively unexploited natural phenomenon, portends a potential revolution in marine transportation and naval application. The prospect of ship designs capable of nominal 100‐knot speeds and transoceanic ranges offers exciting mission possibilities; coupled to such opportunities are certain non‐optimal vehicle features generally associated with a still maturing concept. Exercising SES high‐speed capability in high sea states can result in vertical vibration modes not previously sustained by man for long time periods. The challenge is twofold: 1) to the design engineer, the opportunity of evolving improved ride quality techniques during the forthcoming history of SES development; 2) to the standards institutions, to provide guidance without strangling an emerging technology.The SES is a fast ocean‐going ship employing a self‐generated cushion of air for lift support, reduction of resistance, and reduction of rough water loads and motions; the high‐speed capacity of SES especially in aggravated sea conditions can, as a function of mission demands, result in a unique heave acceleration environment. Both crew performance information and long‐term medical implications are of interest since naval application requires extended mission times and men are expected to live aboard SES as any other sea‐going ship. Vertical motion is expected to center in the region from 0.2–3.0 Hz with predominant energy in the 0,5–2.0 Hz interval for a 2000‐ton ship. Neither the scientific community which produces standards nor the professional operators who command ships have yet established either exhaustive characterizing data regarding performance or significant operational experience in such an arena of vibration frequency. Indeed, the standards and the experience are inextricably bound together and must evolve iteratively since the subject presently suffers from a paucity of data.This paper attempts to set forth the problem, from the customer's point of view, in operational terms. It stipulates basic requirements as they are currently envisioned, reviews the status of standards information available to the designer in the 0.2–3.0 Hz regime, and provides new impetus and additional justification for appropriate data collection in such a vibration environment.Preliminary insight into problem specifics has been obtained from use of a manned six‐degree‐of‐freedom motion base simulator at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, using empirical data from 100‐ton test‐craft and motion predictions from a 2000‐ton SES math model. A simulated pilot house was stimulated to portray ship response characteristics at various speeds in diverse sea states. Results of these motion simulations and selected critical crew tasks conducted during the tests for up to four‐hour intervals are discussed. The need for extensive additional effort over a broad front to establish a sound data base regarding long‐term exposure effects, if any, is made clear.The question of operational application and concomitant impact upon mission equipment suitability is exposed to view and discussed briefly, and finally, a brief status report on SES development, schedule and projections for the future conclude the paper.

Effects of vibration on navy and marine corps helicopter flight crews : Ketchel, J. M., Donaher, J. W. and Morrissey, C. J.Abstr. in US Government Research and Development Reports (Report No AD-698194)

Abstract : Identifiable vibration characteristics of contemporary military helicopters are described. These provide a basis for analyzing and interpreting the literature on vibration research. Emphasis is given to experimental results which relate to frequencies and acceleration amplitudes falling within the helicopter main rotor effects region. The spectrum of military helicopters is tabulated briefly and six representative Navy/Marine Corps helicopters, missions and associated flightcrew tasks are described in more detail. Perceptual-motor behaviors comprising crew tasks in the six missions are identified. These are used to relate vibration analysis results to the helicopter situation.