Human Systems Integration Research Articles

Modulation of Functional Connectivity and Activation during Preparation for Hand Movement

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS Our results illustrate the enhanced functional connectivity between motor-related brain regions and high-level cognitive brain regions during the transition period between rest and hand movements. These results suggest that the sensorimotor network is interacting with prefrontal areas during the transition period to maintain the preparation state. Both actual movement and the transition period without actual movement modulate brain activities. Capturing the detailed relationship of movement intention could be utilized to improve precision and latency of anticipation-based brain–computer interfaces. Furthermore, consistent with the neuroergonomic approach, this study demonstrates that functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a suitable tool for region-specific, task-related, and resting-state functional connectivity analysis. Our findings could enhance the development of more intuitive and natural interfaces between human and machine systems in diverse areas. The approach presented here could help create assistive devices that perceive and predict operators' intention of movements.TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Introduction: Traditional and new generations of neuroimaging techniques allow observing the modulation of brain activities during transition periods between rest and physical movement execution. A thorough understanding of the brain activity and functional connectivity changes during these transitions could contribute to increasing the precision and decreasing the latency of anticipation-based brain–computer interfaces, and improving human-system integration in general. Consistent with the neuroergonomic approach, functional near-infrared spectroscopy can monitor the outer cortex during extensive physical movement and in realistic settings using wearable and portable sensors. Methods: In this study, 19 healthy subjects were monitored with functional near-infrared spectroscopy during rest, a fist opening and closing task, and the transition period preceding the task. Functional connectivity analysis was used to evaluate how the transition period preceding the task modulated the brain activities. Results: There were several increases in functional connectivity during the transition period, especially between the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the contralateral primary somatosensory and primary motor cortices, as well as the functional connectivity connecting the contralateral primary somatosensory cortex with the ipsilateral primary somatosensory cortex and the primary motor cortex. Regions located in the sensorimotor networks and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex were also found to be activated during the transition period. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that the sensorimotor network is interacting with the high-level cognitive brain network during the transition period to maintain the preparation state. Furthermore, functional near-infrared spectroscopy is an emerging tool well-suited for region specific task-related and resting-state functional connectivity analysis. The results and the approach presented here suggest that operators' intention to move can be detected before the actual movement, and that could be employed for development of more intuitive and natural interfaces between human and machine systems.

EDUCATIONAL NETWORKING: HUMAN VIEW TO CYBER DEFENSE

Networks play more and more important role for human life and activity, both in critical occupations (aviation, power industry, military missions etc.), and in everyday life (home computers, education, leisure). Interaction between human and other elements of human-machine system have changed, because they coincide in the information habitat. Human-system integration has reached new level of defense needs. The paper will introduce features of information society in respect of a human and corresponding changes in HF/E: (1) information becomes a tool, goal, mean and environment of a human activity, (2) it becomes a part of the human nature and this makes him/her unprotected, (3) human psycho-physiological status becomes not only a basis of effective performance, but an object of control and support, and means of a human security and safety should be a part of information habitat, (4) networking environment becomes an independent actor in a human activity. Accompanying cyber-security challenges and tasks are discussed, as well as types of networking threats and Human View regarding the cyber security challenges.

Human simulation for task-based survivability analysis

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is increasingly approached from a systems perspective, and one must consequently consider human systems integration (HSI). However, tools for virtual analysis in this regard are lacking. Few human models have the ability to design or import complex PPE systems and then test them from an HSI perspective. Thus, we propose capabilities that allow for improved balance between mobility and coverage, and thus improved survivability. We contend that the propensity for survivability depends critically on the task being completed and on anthropometry. We present a suite of integrated tools for simulating: 1) war fighter interaction with body armour; 2) mission-critical tasks; 3) internal viscera that scale and move appropriately; 4) ballistic threats with statistical analysis. We have also developed methods for displaying external results within a human modelling framework, for inter-process communication, and for using external data as objective functions with optimal design of PPE-human systems.

Supporting The Development Of Empirically Driven Human Systems Integration Guidelines For System Requirements

The Federal Aviation Administration’s vision for the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) includes the implementation of advanced automation capabilities to deliver operational benefits. As these new systems have been deployed, some inefficiencies in the systems engineering process have been noted and attributed to the failure to adequately consider human systems integration in the engineering process (GAO, 2010). Human systems integration can be improved through the definition of quantitative requirements, which ensure that systems are designed effectively and validated fully prior to implementation. This paper provides an overview of a process used to define quantitative guidelines for human systems integration and the application of that process to a set of guidelines for supporting the perception of visual and auditory displays.

The National Academies Board on Human Systems Integration Panel

The National Academies Board on Human-Systems Integration (BOHSI) has organized this session. An initial presentation by the director of BOHSI will provide information on recent projects and updates. Then a panel will discuss the application of human-systems integration (HSI) to the issue of cyber security. Cyber security attempts to protect devices, networks, applications, and data from unintended or unauthorized access. A cyber security solution should not only focus on technology, but also the malevolent behaviors of those wanting to exploit system weaknesses, the cognitive processes required by cyber analysts, as well as the behavior of every day users who may open the door to vulnerability. The panel will therefore address issues related to the human decision process in both defensive and offensive cybersecurity operations. The panel will present future opportunities and will engage the audience in a discussion of these issues.

Air Force Human Systems Integration – Capabilities and Requirements Tool

Establishing human-centered requirements early in the system design, development and acquisition process is key to delivering effective and useable systems to the warfighter. To achieve this goal, it would be beneficial for the HSI practitioner to have a standardized, data-driven tool to assist in generating, tracking, and documenting human-centered requirements. The Survivability/Vulnerability Information Analysis Center created the Human Systems Integration – Capabilities and Requirements Tool in order to provide a means for identifying human related risks and concerns. The HSI-CRT uses domain-based questions to analyze human related risks in Capabilities-Based Assessment, Analysis of Alternatives, and Concept Development. The questions were developed by leveraging Department of Defense and Air Force requirements guides for these three processes. HSI-CRT is based on a risk management approach that is familiar to system engineering and program management disciplines. The practitioner responds to a set of questions with simple yes/no answers that query the status of human centered risks at any point in the requirements planning process. The practitioner is then prompted to rate the potential human performance risk using the standard DoD risk methodology. The tool also allows the practitioner to document the HSI status by entering data that supports the risk rating. Based on user responses, the HSI-CRT provides a report documenting the human performance risks associated with the analysis being performed. The tool was released to the Air Force in July 2015.

Human Performance Impacts Associated With Integrating Multiple NextGen Separation Management Concepts

Separation Management capabilities aim to provide controllers with tools and procedures to more efficiently manage air traffic in a mixed equipage environment. This paper presents the results of an integrated human performance safety assessment of Separation Management concepts planned for implementation between 2016 and 2020. The assessment utilized the Human and Organizational Safety Technique (HOST) to provide a structured method for identifying potential human error modes and estimating their contribution to the human performance risk profile. The HOST assessment resulted in multiple potential human error modes across the individual Separation Management changes. As no concept will be implemented in isolation, key interactions among error modes were assessed utilizing an integrated Human-System Interaction Model. The findings from this research provide a proactive view of potential human-system integration challenges that can be used by stakeholders to proactively develop human factors mitigation strategies that will reduce implementation time and costs associated with each concept.

Personnel Selection Influences on Remotely Piloted Aircraft Human-System Integration.

Human-system integration (HSI) is a complex process used to design and develop systems that integrate human capabilities and limitations in an effective and affordable manner. Effective HSI incorporates several domains, including manpower, personnel and training, human factors, environment, safety, occupational health, habitability, survivability, logistics, intelligence, mobility, and command and control. To achieve effective HSI, the relationships among these domains must be considered. Although this integrated approach is well documented, there are many instances where it is not followed. Human factors engineers typically focus on system design with little attention to the skills, abilities, and other characteristics needed by human operators. When problems with fielded systems occur, additional training of personnel is developed and conducted. Personnel selection is seldom considered during the HSI process. Complex systems such as aviation require careful selection of the individuals who will interact with the system. Personnel selection is a two-stage process involving select-in and select-out procedures. Select-in procedures determine which candidates have the aptitude to profit from training and represent the best investment. Select-out procedures focus on medical qualification and determine who should not enter training for medical reasons. The current paper discusses the role of personnel selection in the HSI process in the context of remotely piloted aircraft systems.

The Variable Vector Countermeasure Suit (V2Suit) for space habitation and exploration.

The “Variable Vector Countermeasure Suit (V2Suit) for Space Habitation and Exploration” is a novel system concept that provides a platform for integrating sensors and actuators with daily astronaut intravehicular activities to improve health and performance, while reducing the mass and volume of the physiologic adaptation countermeasure systems, as well as the required exercise time during long-duration space exploration missions. The V2Suit system leverages wearable kinematic monitoring technology and uses inertial measurement units (IMUs) and control moment gyroscopes (CMGs) within miniaturized modules placed on body segments to provide a “viscous resistance” during movements against a specified direction of “down”—initially as a countermeasure to the sensorimotor adaptation performance decrements that manifest themselves while living and working in microgravity and during gravitational transitions during long-duration spaceflight, including post-flight recovery and rehabilitation. Several aspects of the V2Suit system concept were explored and simulated prior to developing a brassboard prototype for technology demonstration. This included a system architecture for identifying the key components and their interconnects, initial identification of key human-system integration challenges, development of a simulation architecture for CMG selection and parameter sizing, and the detailed mechanical design and fabrication of a module. The brassboard prototype demonstrates closed-loop control from “down” initialization through CMG actuation, and provides a research platform for human performance evaluations to mitigate sensorimotor adaptation, as well as a tool for determining the performance requirements when used as a musculoskeletal deconditioning countermeasure. This type of countermeasure system also has Earth benefits, particularly in gait or movement stabilization and rehabilitation.

Sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe work systems

Theoretical and practical approaches to safety based on sociotechnical systems principles place heavy emphasis on the intersections between social–organisational and technical–work process factors. Within this perspective, work system design emphasises factors such as the joint optimisation of social and technical processes, a focus on reliable human–system performance and safety metrics as design and analysis criteria, the maintenance of a realistic and consistent set of safety objectives and policies, and regular access to the expertise and input of workers. We discuss three current approaches to the analysis and design of complex sociotechnical systems: human–systems integration, macroergonomics and safety climate. Each approach emphasises key sociotechnical systems themes, and each prescribes a more holistic perspective on work systems than do traditional theories and methods. We contrast these perspectives with historical precedents such as system safety and traditional human factors and ergonomics, and describe potential future directions for their application in research and practice.Practitioner Summary: The identification of factors that can reliably distinguish between safe and unsafe work systems is an important concern for ergonomists and other safety professionals. This paper presents a variety of sociotechnical systems perspectives on intersections between social–organisational and technology–work process factors as they impact work system analysis, design and operation.

Building the Life-long Learning Competence in Undergraduate Engineering Students with a Laboratory Practice in Learning Curve

This research presents the perception of undergraduate engineering students in the development of the competence “life- long learning” during a laboratory practice. The main topic of the session is “the learning curve” applied to human-systems integration problems, and specifically involves the design of a training plan for the handling of fire extinguishers using a fire simulator. Students were introduced to a challenge: to analyze and to model the learning process and the impact of the forgetting factor. The results obtained confirm that the proposal contributes to the development of knowledge and enables addressing professional skills such as “life-long learning”.

Implementation of Human System Integration (HSI) and ‘Non-functional Characteristics’ into the Systems Engineering Lifecycle - A Practical Approach at Airbus Defence and Space

This paper provides an overview of the process, practices, developments and synergies that Airbus Defence and Space are implementing Human System Integration (HSI) into the Continuous Engineering /Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) throughout the company. The paper highlights these developments, which include internal research programmes, European Union funded research projects, Airbus internal Synergy project. This research includes an EU funded 3 year project HoliDes - Holistic Human Factors and System Design of Adaptive Cooperative Human Machine Systems. Continuous engineering within Airbus has included various corporate and divisional Synergy programs and lean and agile initiatives. As our business is defined by Multiple Portfolio products, supplied from multi countries, the MBSE process had to speed up delivery and reduce overall cost. The Airbus process models needed significant amendment due to products supplied via multiple business lines throughout the company. This problem is exacerbated by varying requirements of four national defence requirements, who impose restrictions on the use of Architectural Frameworks (NAF/MODAF/DODAF) and supporting tools. Our Human System Integration (HSI) is continuing from the initial Human View Architectural Framework research to include the nine HSI domains. These nine domains overlap with our current Human factors research and will now allow us to pull in our Non-functional work into our Systems Engineering lifecycle. This paper highlights the research projects Airbus Space and Defence are incorporating in to our overall strategy, these include internal R&D funding and European Union funded research programs. These research projects have highlighted several areas of interest these include, stochastic modelling with respect to Human System Integration and Human views, verification and analysis of emergent behaviour and non-functional properties, which conforms with our own work on non-functional requirements and finally the use of System of System Formal Methods for parts of the lifecycle.

A Notional Model of Creation, Maintenance, and Enrichment of Human Capital

Systems engineering approaches to complex socio-technical systems need good models to represent the variety of human components of the complex system. Human systems integration (HSI) is the set of systems engineering processes that ensure all human-related technical issues are properly identified and addressed during system design and development. Thus, HSI applied to complex socio-technical systems needs a generalized model of all the human components of the system. A primary construct useful in this context is human capital; that is, the durable assets of knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that humans possess that enable the production of goods and services in an economy. These same capital assets also consume the goods and services produced by that economy. Overall, the human capital is maintained by a healthcare system throughout the lifespan, and in-demand KSAs are created by an educational and training system. Enrichment of human capital can occur throughout the lifespan. Key criterion measures are the subjective well-being (SWB) and standard of living (SOL) of the population, the cost of producing KSAs that are in demand, the reduction in productivity due to health and safety problems, and the goodness of fit of KSAs of an individual with the KSAs demanded by their job. This model expands the traditional concerns of human factors to a socio-technical scale. Each of the seven domains of HSI can be expressed in more general terms across a broader organization. Examples of system performance measures that are used by this model include number of lost work days (due to health problems), disability adjusted life years, cost of producing a degree from an accredited school, and utilization of the available workforce.

A Framework for Assessing and Communicating Human Systems Integration Efficacy Across the System Lifecycle

The economic advantages and tactical edge provided by properly configured human-technology interfaces are well documented in modern acquisition. Despite these clear advantages, implementing HSI continues to be impeded by the complexity of human-technology integration issues. We propose that the lack of understanding of HSI and its impacts on system performance are at the core of these challenges. The Comprehensive Human Integration Evaluation Framework (CHIEF) is proposed as a tool for understanding, assessing and communicating HSI's impact on total system performance across the system lifecycle. Using the development and emergence of the NASA/DoD Technology Readiness Level (TRL) scale as a benchmark, recently proposed HSI and human factors (HF) metrics are analyzed to determine attributes for a useful framework. A simplified definition of HSI is offered as a foundation for understanding the HSI process. The CHIEF evaluation scheme, including an HSI performance summary, domain-specific rating scales and a workflow developed jointly by the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Human Systems Integration and the Naval Postgraduate School are then described. Efforts to implement the framework in current USCG acquisition are summarized.

A Cross-cutting Human Factors Impact Assessment of Planned NextGen Changes

The National Airspace System (NAS) Enterprise Architecture (EA) describes Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) goals, operational changes, planned infrastructure changes, and guidance materials. While the primary focus of the NAS EA is on infrastructure delivery, one of the main functions of human factors is to proactively assess and respond to the anticipated impacts of NextGen changes on end-users. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Human Factors Research and Engineering Division (ANG-C1) has strengthened the presence of human factors activities in NextGen products through the Human Systems Integration (HSI) Roadmap and other NAS EA Roadmaps. This paper will present the en route air traffic control (ATC) portion of the HSI Roadmap and explore potential NextGen human factors integration opportunities to support future en route operations. Opportunities have been identified through the analysis of operational improvements (OIs), decision points, and information obtained through stakeholder interviews. When examining the en route domain, 52 OI-actor pairings were identified with 14 describing automation enhancing situation awareness, 3 describing procedural changes, and 35 describing mixed changes.

Affordances and Safe Design of Assistance Wearable Virtual Environment of Gesture

Safety and reliability are the main issues for designing assistance wearable virtual environment of technical gesture in aerospace, or health application domains. That needs the integration in the same isomorphic engineering framework of human requirements, systems requirements and the rationale of their relation to the natural and artifactual environment. To explore coupling integration and design functional organization of support technical gesture systems, firstly ecological psychology provides us a heuristic concept: the affordance. On the other hand mathematical theory of integrative physiology provides us scientific concepts: the stabilizing auto-association principle and functional interaction. After demonstrating the epistemological consistence of these concepts, we define an isomorphic framework to describe and model human systems integration dedicated to human in-the-loop system engineering. We present an experimental approach of safe design of assistance wearable virtual environment of gesture based in laboratory and parabolic flights. On the results, we discuss the relevance of our conceptual approach and the applications to future assistance of gesture wearable systems engineering.

What Went Wrong? What can go Right? A Prospectus on Human Factors Practice

Human Factors has informed both research and practice for over 100 years [1]. In this time, many theories, methods, and design practices have been implemented. As a result, the way Human Factors as a discipline has been conceptualized and put into practice has undergone numerous changes. Human Factors, at its heart is the idea that technology influences humans, and that humans influence the performance efficiency and effectiveness of technology, and other humans. Recent approaches to Human Factors have created multiple baseline assumptions on understanding human system interaction. For example, McNeese et al. [2] identified four systems design paradigms wherein each produce a qualitatively different outcome: Technology-Centered, User-Centered, Data-Centered, Group-Centered. Although there is value and truth in each approach, individually each theme limits its scope by deemphasizing contributions from the others. Because isomorphic approaches abound in the field, this paper theorizes a more optimal approach to contemporary human factors - The Living Laboratory Framework – that posits a wholistic perspective addressing various underling parameters in complex problem solving and innovative design. In this contemporary approach, the theory–problems–practice becomes highly integrated, reflecting unique and dynamic methods to create human-system integration. Examples are provided in the domains of cyber operations and police cognition to demonstrate the value of this approach.

National Research Council Board on Human Systems Integration Panel

The National Research Council’s Board on Human-Systems Integration has organized this session. An initial presentation by the NRC BOHSI will provide information on recent projects and updates. Then a panel will discuss the application of human-systems integration (HSI) to the issue of safety patient handling, an issue of growing concern given the high rate of injuries during patient handling activities. The focus of the panel will be on issues related to the scope of the problem, an HSI perspective of patient handling, and the design and implementation of safe patient handling and mobility programs. We will engage the audience in a discussion of these issues to help refine our project in this area.

A Human Systems Integration Framework for Air Traffic Management System Design and Acquisition

The Federal Aviation Administration is working to modernize the systems used by air traffic controllers through the agency’s vision of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. These systems are acquired through the FAA’s Acquisition Management System (AMS) process. To date, human factors analysis is included in this process, though improvements can be made in the alignment of human systems integration principles with these systems engineering processes. This paper provides a recommended human systems integration framework to support air traffic management system design, and examines two potential cases in which the framework can be used to support the process.

NASA’s UAS Integration into the NAS

In 2011 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began a five-year Project to address the technical barriers related to routine access of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS). Planned in two phases, the goal of the first phase was to lay the foundations for the Project by identifying those barriers and key issues to be addressed to achieve integration. Phase 1 activities were completed two years into the five-year Project. The purpose of this paper is to review activities within the Human Systems Integration (HSI) subproject in Phase 1 toward its two objectives: 1) develop GCS guidelines for routine UAS access to the NAS, and 2) develop a prototype display suite within an existing Ground Control Station (GCS). The first objective directly addresses a critical barrier for UAS integration into the NAS – a lack of GCS design standards or requirements. First, the paper describes the initial development of a prototype GCS display suite and supporting simulation software capabilities. Then, three simulation experiments utilizing this simulation architecture are summarized. The first experiment sought to determine a baseline performance of UAS pilots operating in civil airspace under current instrument flight rules for manned aircraft. The second experiment examined the effect of currently employed UAS contingency procedures on Air Traffic Control (ATC) participants. The third experiment compared three GCS command and control interfaces on UAS pilot response times in compliance with ATC clearances. The authors discuss how the results of these and future simulation and flight-testing activities contribute to the development of GCS guidelines to support the safe integration of UAS into the NAS. Finally, the planned activities for Phase 2, including an integrated human-in-the-loop simulation and two flight tests are briefly described.