Human factors integration with safety assurance on the man-machine interface

It is evident that speech technology, recognition and generation, has grown rapidly in the last few years with new commercial and industrial products developing almost overnight. Speech technology offers the potential of a natural, efficient, and hands-free communication medium for humans to interact with computers. This exciting new man-machine interface concept is not merely looking for a new home, it is in desperate need of much good human factors research. The capabilities demonstrated by human and machine are very different. This means that the integration of a new technology should enhance, in particular, those human tasks that are difficult and fatiguing. In other words, the primary consideration should be in designing for the human's needs and capabilities. The machine and the interface can be redesigned and improved with time and scientific progress. Speech technology as a new interface medium offers another opportunity for the roles of human and machine to be complementary. Speech technology requires an expansion of the traditional concept of the visual-manual interface. A verbal capability permits new dialogue formats and information access and should not be viewed as a mere one for one substitute for visual or manual operations. The research reviewed will include performance studies in time-shared environments, which illustrate that voice recognition can be a preferred method of input over a keyboard. The speech generation studies reviewed indicate the utility of remote location spoken messages for alerting functions. However, there appears to be a lack of research effort in exploiting the interplay of the two speech technologies as a natural conversational dialogue interface. Some key basic research studies are sorely missing and their suggested format will be described. This presentation attempts to summarize the kinds of research issues that have been addressed in the application of speech technology to the human-machine interface, especially within the context of military and industrial environments. Merely determining technically that a particular task can be performed using the speech medium does not imply that this same task should be implemented using speech technology. Such features as user utility, role within the whole work station, type of payoff, and additional environmental factors need to be simultaneously considered and weighted accordingly for each particular application. Some methodological approaches that have been developed to aid in these determinations will be discussed. Guidelines for both human factors considerations and methodology development will be described to include the following: a. Criteria for assessing task utility b. Vocabulary selection using confusion matrices c. Structure of task-oriented grammar d. Structure of dialogue tasks e. Potential linguistic-semantic enhancements f. Recommended performance evaluation tests g. Operator training recommendations h. Impact of environmental constraints i. Problems encountered in restricted communication modes j. Potential of multi-modal communications k. Enhancements to hardware and software configurations In addition to these guidelines for speech technology implementations, some specific considerations that need to be given for speech recognition and generation individually will be described. For example, the impact that connected or continuous speech recognition may have on man-machine interfaces, and the use of flexible word order entry needs to be considered. There are also some concerns about the additional auditory memory loadings that may be placed on operators using lengthy speech generation feedback messages. Furthermore, speech generation implementation requires complex prioritization and inhibition logic trees to be developed to prevent simultaneous receipt of two messages with vastly different user impact. Guidelines and recommendations for speech technology users and researchers alike will be discussed. The current gap in the development of speech technology as a successful and useful input/output mode focuses on the need for good human factors research. This discussion portrays what is known about the strengths and limitations of speech technology. In doing this, it illustrates the kinds of human factors issues and cautions that have to be addressed before speech technology can find its rightful role in enhancing any man-machine interface.

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On-Board Electronic Warfare Simulator (OBEWS): Designing the Ground Support Subsystem (GSS) Man Machine Interface

Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193128703101126 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 31 (11) ◽

pp. 1296-1300

Author(s):

Gregory M. Wilford

Keyword(s):

Human Factors ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Human Factors Engineering ◽

Design Development ◽

Electronic Warfare ◽

Ground Support ◽

Engineering Effort ◽

Machine Interface ◽

Detailed Level ◽

Man Machine Interface

This paper reports on the development of the On-Board Electronic Warfare Simulator (OBEWS) Ground Support Subsystem (GSS). The discussion will take place on two levels. At the top level, the theme of embedded training and the role that the OBEWS program will have in proving the feasibility of the concept will be discussed. At the second and more detailed level, the intensive human factors engineering effort undertaken in the design/development of the OBEWS GSS man machine interface (MMI) will be presented. A description of the resulting MMI will be included. The paper concludes with recommendations and lessons learned at both levels.

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Sonar Operator Performance Considerations in Passive Sonar Systems

Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193127501900416 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 480-485

Author(s):

R. J. Hornick ◽

G. Yamashita ◽

J. E. Robinson ◽

H. J. Winkler

Keyword(s):

Human Factors ◽

Interface Problems ◽

Operator Performance ◽

Passive Sonar ◽

Sonar Systems ◽

Machine Interface ◽

Man Machine Interface ◽

Performance Considerations ◽

Stimulus Materials

Because of rapid developments in passive sonar technology, man-machine interface problems continue to demand human factors studies. This paper discusses display problems, operator variables, and research considerations. Data are presented from a recent study conducted by the authors comparing performance with photographic and static stimulus materials versus performance with dynamic CRT displays as the stimuli.

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Power Press Safeguarding: A Human Factors Perspective

Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193128603001417 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 30 (14) ◽

pp. 1415-1418

Author(s):

Joseph P. Ryan

Keyword(s):

Human Factors ◽

Mechanical Power ◽

Critical Area ◽

Causal Factors ◽

Department Of Labor ◽

Accident Causation ◽

Machine Interface ◽

Man Machine Interface ◽

And Control ◽

The U.S

This paper presents the results of research in mechanical power press safeguarding conducted during the period, 1964–1983. Over 4500 actual cases, involving operator injuries, were analyzed to determine the accident causation. 3300 cases were reported by the U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA) for the period, 1975–1983. 1200 cases were reported by the Swedish Office for Worker's Protection & Health. Causal factors, including safeguarding, press and control defect, and other factors were determined. Alternate safeguarding methods, based on Human Factors considerations, are presented to reduce, or eliminate, operator injury. The critical area of Man-Machine interface is emphasized as it relates to improving current methods of safeguarding operators in mechanical power presses.

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Man-Machine Interface Design for Korean Next Generation Reactor: A Human Factors Perspective

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/154193120004402285 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 44 (22) ◽

pp. 823-826

Author(s):

Joong Nam Kim

Keyword(s):

Power Plant ◽

Human Factors ◽

Digital Technology ◽

Interface Design ◽

Nuclear Power ◽

Next Generation ◽

Power Plant Control ◽

Display Workstation ◽

Machine Interface ◽

Man Machine Interface

The concept of advanced man-machine interface (MMI) technology is employed to the design of the main control room (MCR) for Korean Next Generation Reactor (KNGR), an advanced light water nuclear power plant (NPP) currently under development. In the KNGR MCR, computerized workstations and digital operating systems provide the operator with electronically generated graphics and information for system status displays and plant controls. The introduction of digital technology to the development of advanced power plant control station has brought new issues and concerns associated with the KNGR MMI design, especially in human factors perspective. This paper presents some of human factors efforts in the development of KNGR MMIs that includes large screen display, workstation CRT, computerized procedure, and soft controller.

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Self-Service Elevator Control Panels, a Survey of User Preference

Proceedings of the Human Factors Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/107118137902300131 ◽

1979 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 124-128

Author(s):

Donna L. Smith

Keyword(s):

Human Factors ◽

User Preference ◽

Human Factors Engineering ◽

Public Buildings ◽

Shape Coding ◽

Photographic Survey ◽

Machine Interface ◽

Man Machine Interface ◽

Self Service

Historically little systematic Human Factors Engineering has been done on the development of elevator control panels. This survey had participants develop a numerical arrangement within a given configuration. Results compare the preferences of Human Factors specialists (about half the participants) with laymen in numerical configuration, shape coding preference, and sequence of assist buttons (open, close, emergency). A photographic survey examines the variety of control panels that can be found in public buildings and makes recommendations for improving the man-machine interface.

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