Human Factors Challenges Research Articles

The Transition from Analog to Digital NOTAMs: A Tool to Support Human Performance

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is modernizing the United States Notices to Airmen (NOTAM) System by transitioning from an analog system to a digital system for originating and tracking NOTAMs. This shift will enable the FAA to organize the different elements of aeronautical information into separate data fields. The resulting data will be machine readable, which will support users’ ability to sort, filter, and manage the volume of electronic NOTAM information. The new system comprises a suite of digital software products designed by the FAA. As part of the suite, the FAA developed a web-based software application called Digital NOTAM Manager ( NOTAM Manager), which airport and FAA Technical Operations personnel use to create digital NOTAMs. This demonstration will present the capabilities of NOTAM Manager and discuss the human factors benefits and challenges of NOTAM Manager to NOTAM originators and end users.

Facing the Human Factors Challenges in Game Design: A Discussion Panel

The game industry has been expanding exponentially in the past decades, mainly by making games more appealing to a wider audience. In addition, the level of complexity in control interfaces and graphics has increased steadily. As a result, there is a growing demand for human factors and ergonomics practitioners to ensure the users’ engagement. Furthermore, the gaming domain provides an opportunity to expand human factors research in the academia. Therefore, the goal of this panel is to introduce the audience to the present research and development techniques that human factors practitioners utilize in this domain. Specifically, we will review and demonstrate the unique human factors challenges in Internet social games, console video games, and educational games for children and teens using a variety of unique interfaces, such as virtual reality, tactile controls, and gesture recognition.

Human-Automation Challenges for the Control of Unmanned Aerial Systems

The continuing proliferation in the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in both civil and military operations has presented a multitude of human factors challenges from how to bridge the gap between the demand and availability of trained operators, to how to organize and present data in meaningful ways. Underlying many of these challenges is the issue of how automation capabilities can best be utilized to assist human operators manage increasing complexity and workload. The purpose of this discussion panel is to examine current research and perspectives on human automation interaction and how it relates to the future of UAS control. The panel is composed of five well-known researchers, all experts in the area of human-automation interaction. The range of topics that the panelists will discuss includes: how automation taxonomies can be applied to UAS design; opportunities to exploit automation capabilities in multi-vehicle contexts; current examples of automation research results, particularly in the area...

A Field Study of Haul Truck Operations in Open Pit Mines

This paper presents findings from a field study of the operation of haul trucks in two open pit gold mines. Qualitative results relevant to the haul truck operator’s work environment are presented, and the human factors challenges of the work are identified. Three specific issues that stood out from the study are discussed in detail. First, fatigue is identified as a major contributing factor to crashes and overall performance in open pit traffic, heightened by the specific work characteristics of a haul truck operator. Second, negative transfer is discussed as it interferes with the adaptation from one truck type to another: a consequence of inconsistent controls across different truck brands. Third, the under utilization of and the general posture of suspicion towards the dispatch system are reported, with a list of potential reasons related to automation characteristics.

How is the Firm Dealing with the Merger? A Study of Employee Satisfaction with the Change Process

The purpose of this study was to understand the degree to which employees’ satisfaction with merger-induced organizational changes impact on their productivity and the merged-firm performance. This is because, the introduction of market-driven business reforms in many developing economies has seen the emergence of growth-drivers that includes the search for new markets, increasing competition in local markets, new investors’ interest in emerging markets, and hence the desire for firms to merge. The results showed that human resource issues are important aspects of mergers which, if it is not well handled, may impact negatively on employee satisfaction with consequent repercussions on productivity and the success of the merger. It is concluded that employee satisfaction to a merger-induced organizational changes could be enhanced by instituting effective two way communication system and using participatory approaches in job redesign processes. By implication, merger-induced change has human factor challenges that merging firms need to understand.

The unassisted visual system on earth and in space

Chuck Oman has been a guide and mentor for research in human perception and performance during space exploration for over 25 years. His research has provided a solid foundation for our understanding of how humans cope with the challenges and ambiguities of sensation and perception in space. In many of the environments associated with work in space the human visual system must operate with unusual combinations of visual and other perceptual cues. On Earth physical acceleration cues are normally available to assist the visual system in interpreting static and dynamic visual features. Here we consider two cases where the visual system is not assisted by such cues. Our first experiment examines perceptual stability when the normally available physical cues to linear acceleration are absent. Our second experiment examines perceived orientation when there is no assistance from the physically sensed direction of gravity. In both cases the effectiveness of vision is paradoxically reduced in the absence of physical acceleration cues. The reluctance to rely heavily on vision represents an important human factors challenge to efficient performance in the space environment.

The Human Factors of Home Health Care

Increases in longevity, a growing elderly population, variation of skill and knowledge among home providers, and a steady migration of medical devices and technologies into the home are placing new demands on home heath care. The paper examines the human factors challenges associated with these converging trends. A growing literature base relevant to home health care is examined, and with the aid of a socio-technical systems model, the paper explores safety and quality concerns to which the converging trends are likely to give rise. The sensory, physical, and cognitive limitations of patients and their caregivers play a key role in the ability of patients to manage home health care needs. Other major components affecting successful home health care management are the nature of health care tasks undertaken, the design features of the physical environment, the medical devices and technologies used, the social and community environments, and distal but relevant external factors that shape the context of care. Home health care stakeholders can avoid foreseeable threats to safety and quality by recognizing that components need to be designed in a way that takes into account their interactions with one another and with the capabilities and limitations of patients and their providers. By examining the major components and interdependencies of the home health care delivery system, a human factors perspective offers insights into ways that safety and quality can be compromised and can help pave the way for new modes of thinking in home health care policy.

Pediatric vaccination errors: Application of the “5 Rights” framework to a national error reporting database

Little is known about vaccination errors. We analyzed 607 outpatient pediatric vaccination error reports from MEDMARX, a nationwide, voluntary medication error reporting system, occurring from 2003 to 2006. We used the “5 Rights” framework (right vaccine, time, dose, route, and patient) to determine whether vaccination error types were predictable. We found that “wrong vaccine” errors were more common among look-alike/sound-alike groups than among vaccines with no look-alike/sound-alike group. Scheduled vaccines were more often involved in “wrong time” errors than seasonal and intermittent vaccines. “Wrong dose” errors were more common for vaccines whose dose is weight-based and age-based than for vaccines whose dose is uniform. “Wrong route” and “wrong patient” errors were rare. In this largest-ever analysis of pediatric vaccination errors, error types were associated with predictable vaccine-related human factors challenges. Efforts to reduce pediatric vaccination errors should focus on these human factors.

Human Factors of the Confirmation Bias in Intelligence Analysis: Decision Support From Graphical Evidence Landscapes

This study addresses the human factors challenge of designing and validating decision support to promote less biased intelligence analysis. The confirmation bias can compromise objectivity in ambiguous medical and military decision making through neglect of conflicting evidence and judgments not reflective of the entire evidence spectrum. Previous debiasing approaches have had mixed success and have tended to place additional demands on users' decision making. Two new debiasing interventions that help analysts picture the full spectrum of evidence, the relation of evidence to a hypothesis, and other analysts' evidence assessments were manipulated in a repeated-measures design: (a) an integrated graphical evidence layout, compared with a text baseline; and (b) evidence tagged with other analysts' assessments, compared with participants' own assessments. Twenty-seven naval trainee analysts and reservists assessed, selected, and prioritized evidence in analysis vignettes carefully constructed to have balanced supporting and conflicting evidence sets. Bias was measured for all three evidence analysis steps. A bias to select a skewed distribution of confirming evidence occurred across conditions. However, graphical evidence layout, but not other analysts' assessments, significantly reduced this selection bias, resulting in more balanced evidence selection. Participants systematically prioritized the most supportive evidence as most important. Domain experts exhibited confirmation bias in a realistic intelligence analysis task and apparently conflated evidence supportiveness with importance. Graphical evidence layout promoted more balanced and less biased evidence selection. Results have application to real-world decision making, implications for basic decision theory, and lessons for how shrewd visualization can help reduce bias.

Signposts Along the NIH Roadmap for Reengineering Clinical Research<subtitle>Lessons From the Clinical Research Networks Initiative</subtitle>

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Roadmap for Medical Research aims to increase the efficiency and speed of clinical research. We report results and lessons learned from a key component of the Roadmap, the Clinical Research Networks initiative. Twelve diverse, experienced, large, clinical research networks were funded for 3 years to develop strategies for integrating, expanding, and increasing the interoperability of clinical research networks in support of the Roadmap goals. Network leaders met periodically in person and by teleconference to describe common challenges encountered and solutions used for expansion and increased interoperability. These networks developed innovative solutions to technical challenges, including strategies for interoperability of information systems and management of complex information system technologies (eg, "brokering" to address data system incompatibility, data transfer, and security requirements), and solutions to human factor challenges at the individual, group, intraorganizational, and interorganizational levels (eg, applying collaborative organizing and decision-making processes based on key principles). These solutions can provide guidance to existing and future clinical research networks, particularly those forming as part of the NIH Clinical Translation Science Award program. Remaining technical and human factor challenges, however, as well as the largely unmet need for consistent funding for network infrastructure and maintenance, stand in the way of fulfilling the vision of a robust future role for clinical research networks.

Design of a Cursor Control Device for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

NASA has embarked on a new program to develop vehicles for returning humans to the Moon by 2020. The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) will replace the Space Shuttle and serve as the primary vehicle for transporting the crew. Orion will be equipped with a modern “glass cockpit” that will allow operators to command and control all of the vehicle's systems from one of two operator stations. The design of Orion's operator stations creates some unique human-machine interface issues due primarily to the vehicle design and the extreme conditions the crew must operate in. One of the unique challenges for Orion is the need for a novel cursor control device that allows the crew to interact with the vehicle while seated and restrained. This paper describes some of the human factors challenges of designing such a device as well as the process that was employed.

Supervisory Control of Multiple Unmanned Vehicles: International Perspectives on Methodologies and Enabling Interface Technologies

Unmanned vehicles (UVs) have proven to be an extremely valuable military capability. Added system automation/autonomy will change the role of the UV operator from manual controller to supervisor of, and maybe even teammate to, these highly automated systems. Continuing this trend, there is a desire across several NATO countries to explore concepts in which multiple autonomous UVs are simultaneously controlled by a single supervisor. The obvious utility of UVs, the rapid advances in associated technology, and the desire to increase operator span of control has led to the formation of a NATO Research Task Group to address the human factors challenges, methodologies, and technologies associated with single operator control of multiple UVs. This panel, consisting of prominent members of the seven country NATO group, will describe the state-of-the art in human factors related developments of multi-UV control through examples of their respective nation's research and technical demonstrations in this area. Additionally, panelists will interact with the audience and address questions centering on the rationale, methodologies, and challenges associated with multi-UV control.

Human factors and qualitative pedagogical evaluation of a mobile augmented reality system for science education used by learners with physical disabilities

Technology-enhanced learning, employing novel forms of content representation and education service delivery by enhancing the visual perception of the real environment of the user, is favoured by proponents of educational inclusion for learners with physical disabilities. Such an augmented reality computer-mediated learning system has been developed as part of an EU funded research project, namely the CONNECT project. The CONNECT project brings together schools and science centres, and produces novel information and communication technologies based on augmented reality (AR) and web-based streaming and communication, in order to support learning in a variety of settings. The CONNECT AR interactive learning environment can assist users to better contextualize and reinforce their learning in school and in other settings where people learn (i.e. science centres and home). The CONNECT concept and associated technologies encourage users to visit science centres and perform experiments that are not possible in school. They can also build on these experiences back at school and at home with visual augmentations that they are communicated through web-based streaming technology. This paper particularly focuses on a user-centred evaluation approach of human factors and pedagogical aspects of the CONNECT system, as applied to a special needs user group. The main focus of the paper is on highlighting the human factors issues and challenges, in terms of wearability and technology acceptance, while elaborating on some qualitative aspects of the pedagogical effectiveness of the instructional medium that AR technology offers for this group of learners.

In loco intellegentia: human factors for the future European train driver

The European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) represents a step change in technology for rail operations in Europe. It comprises track-to-train communications and intelligent on-board systems providing an unprecedented degree of support to the train driver. ERTMS is designed to improve safety, capacity and performance, as well as facilitating interoperability across the European rail network. In many ways, particularly from the human factors perspective, ERTMS has parallels with automation concepts in the aviation and automotive industries. Lessons learned from both these industries are that such a technology raises a number of human factors issues associated with train driving and operations. The interaction amongst intelligent agents throughout the system must be effectively coordinated to ensure that the strategic benefits of ERTMS are realised. This paper discusses the psychology behind some of these key issues, such as Mental Workload (MWL), interface design, user information requirements, transitions and migration and communications. Relevant experience in aviation and vehicle automation is drawn upon to give an overview of the human factors challenges facing the UK rail industry in implementing ERTMS technology. By anticipating and defining these challenges before the technology is implemented, it is hoped that a proactive and structured programme of research can be planned to meet them.

Human Factors Challenges in After-Action Reviews in Distributed Simulation-Based Training

This paper discusses human factors issues in designing methods to develop and deliver After Action Reviews (AARs) in the Navy-sponsored Debriefing Distributed Simulation-Based Exercises (DDSBE) research program. DDSBE is intended to develop and test methods for collecting, analyzing, presenting, and distributing performance data in the emerging Navy distributed simulation training environment. In addition to research-driven AAR design, the program includes considerable software development: building a simulation testbed, developing and integrating automated and semi-automated data collection tools, and designing and implementing automated analysis methods. Considerable data will be collected automatically. Consequently, trainers will not be required to observe an aspect of performance to include it in an AAR. Although AARs are used after actual military actions and after live training, we confine our discussion to distributed simulation-based training, the focus of DDSBE.

P‐21: Human Factors Guidelines for Binocular Near‐Eye Displays

AbstractA series of experiments was conducted that addressed basic human‐factors challenges for near‐eye displays. Topics included linking the eyebox to viewing comfort, focus and line‐of‐sight preferences, eyewear compatibility, and field‐of‐view and brightness preferences. We present highlights of this research.

Manpower, Skill and Fatigue Analysis of Future Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Environments

Recent military operations conducted by the U.S. have brought to light several human factors challenges in regard to the control of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The purpose of this research was to examine the crew environment and soldier performance issues related to future UAV systems. Multiple studies were conducted using a variety of human engineering tools to address UAV crew issues related to: 1) the utility of having rated aviators as crewmembers, 2) supplementing current crews with imagery and intelligence specialists, 3) the use of automation to improve systems efficiency, and 4) the effects of crew size, rotation schedule, and fatigue on crewmember performance. No evidence was found to support a requirement for rated aviators in future Army missions. However, the use of cognitively oriented embedded training simulators was suggested to aid novices in developing the cognitive skills exhibited by experts. The effectiveness of adding imagery specialists to crews is discussed, as well as specific recommendations related to automation and crew size derived from simulation modeling.

Joint Shipboard Helicopter Operations: Human Factors Issues and Challenges

As part of the US military's Joint Force initiative, non-Navy helicopters are increasingly required to conduct operations on Navy ships. Consequently, shipboard helicopter interoperability has become a requirement for all the military forces. Key shipboard helicopter operations include: landings and takeoffs, launch and recovery support activities, ordnance handling, refueling, and external load operations. These operations involve a variety of helicopter types from the different services on all aviation-capable Navy ships, in different sea states, and under changing visibility and environmental conditions. The requirement for shipboard helicopter interoperability involves several unique human factors issues and poses many challenges. In this paper, we discuss the major issues and challenges as they relate to three broad categories: procedures, training, and compatibility. We identify areas where human factors specialists can make significant contributions to improve the effectiveness and safety of shipboard helicopter operations. In addition, we identify opportunities for future research.

Human factors in multi-crew flight operations

AbstractThis paper discusses selected aviation human factors challenges in the air transport environment. Because of the authors’ background, much of this paper will be based upon the growth of human factors and airline training in transport aviation in the United States. However, parallel growth and advancements have been made in other parts of the world from the beginning of air transport and are being made in many parts of the world today. This is certainly true of Great Britain. One should never forget that air transport is a world enterprise and has been since its beginning. While it is important to recognise that cultural and other differences should be considered if they are relevant, it is equally important in air transport to recognise that common problems are solved by common solutions and can be addressed by, but are not limited to, common approaches.It is recognised that the behavioral aspect of aviation human factors deserves considerable attention, particularly in the area of training and evaluation. We have also learned that previous training criteria are not satisfactory for operation with increasingly complex aircraft being operated in an increasingly complex environment. Human errors occur with greater frequency than is often believed and can be made by anyone — even an airline captain. An inevitable consequence of this entirely human characteristic is that the role of the co-pilot has been considerably enhanced. Furthermore, the monitoring function of the pilot-not-flying, whether he/she is the captain or co-pilot, is now recognised as a critical safety function by virtually all serious operational experts.

Human Factors Challenges in Future Air Traffic Management Organizer and Panel Chair

Human Factors Challenges in Future Air Traffic Management Organizer and Panel Chair