Train controllers, interface design and mental workload

2011 ◽  
pp. 239-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Interface Design ◽  
Mental Workload

Design and Evaluation of Individual Elements of the Interface for an Agricultural Machine

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-42
Author(s):  
Aadesh K. Rakhra ◽  
Danny D. Mann
Keyword(s):  
User Interface ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Mean Difference ◽  
Human Operator ◽  
Interface Elements ◽  
Agricultural Machines ◽  
User Centered

Abstract. If a user-centered approach is not used to design information displays, the quantity and quality of information presented to the user may not match the needs of the user, or it may exceed the capability of the human operator for processing and using that information. The result may be an excessive mental workload and reduced situation awareness of the operator, which can negatively affect the machine performance and operational outcomes. The increasing use of technology in agricultural machines may expose the human operator to excessive and undesirable information if the operator’s information needs and information processing capabilities are ignored. In this study, a user-centered approach was used to design specific interface elements for an agricultural air seeder. Designs of the interface elements were evaluated in a laboratory environment by developing high-fidelity prototypes. Evaluations of the user interface elements yielded significant improvement in situation awareness (up to 11%; overall mean difference = 5.0 (4.8%), 95% CI (6.4728, 3.5939), p < 0.0001). Mental workload was reduced by up to 19.7% (overall mean difference = -5.2 (-7.9%), n = 30, a = 0.05). Study participants rated the overall performance of the newly designed user-centered interface elements higher in comparison to the previous designs (overall mean difference = 27.3 (189.8%), 99% CI (35.150, 19.384), p < 0.0001). Keywords: Agricultural machines, Interface design principles, Situation awareness, User-centered design, User interface design, User experience.

Virtual Road Signs

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1750-1754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prerana Rane ◽  
Hyungil Kim ◽  
Juan Lopez Marcano ◽  
Joseph L. Gabbard
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
The United States ◽  
Human Information Processing ◽  
Audio Feedback ◽  
Novice Drivers ◽  
The Road ◽  
Road Signs

Studies have shown that experts are more sensitive to changes in the road scene than novice drivers, and use the driving patterns of other cars to infer important information. A tool that can help bridge the gap between experts and novices may be augmented reality (AR), which can be used to graphically overlay virtual information onto the real world that may not otherwise be easily inferred. In this paper, we propose an AR interface that aims to improve the sensation, attention, situation awareness and decision making of international drivers who are new to the United States (US). We present results of a preliminary study that identifies the needs of novice international drivers as well as an AR interface design created to support these needs. Contextual inquiry and analysis techniques were used to extract the needs of novice international drivers. Based on observations, iterative designs and a prototype were developed that merge AR and audio feedback. Lastly, the prototype was evaluated by two usability experts, who performed a heuristic walkthrough based on the principles of human information processing. The experts conclude that the interface has the potential of increasing the sensation, attention, situation awareness and decision making while reducing the mental workload of novice international drivers. Future work will include an empirical study to support the observations of the analytical evaluation presented herein.

Human Error in Patient-Controlled Analgesia: Incident Reports and Experimental Evaluation

1998 ◽  
Vol 42 (14) ◽  
pp. 1043-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Lin
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Medical Device ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Patient Controlled Analgesia ◽  
Performance Time ◽  
Equipment Safety ◽  
Incident Reports ◽  
Serious Injuries

Human error is often cited as the most common cause of medical device mishaps. The role that a poorly designed user interface plays in precipitating these errors is infrequently acknowledged. This study focused on the Abbott PCA Infuser, a commonly used medical device. A review of FDA incident reports showed that human error is responsible for 68% of fatalities and serious injuries associated with the Abbott PCA. We sought to demonstrate that the incidence of human error can be significantly reduced through a human factors approach to interface design. A redesigned interface was developed, then empirically evaluated with a group of recovery room nurses, experienced PCA users. The results of the evaluations showed a 55% reduction in errors, an 18% improvement in performance time, a 14% reduction in mental workload, and a strong preference by nurses for the redesigned interface. These findings demonstrate that quantifiable improvements in equipment safety and efficiency can be achieved by adopting a human factors approach to interface design.

A Study of Ergonomic Measurement Indices in Evaluating Human-Machine Interfaces

2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 275-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Lin ◽  
W. J. Zhang ◽  
L. G. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Control System ◽  
Interface Design ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Systems Development ◽  
Ecological Interface Design ◽  
Human Machine Interfaces ◽  
Machine Interface ◽  
Machine Control ◽  
Measurement And Evaluation ◽  
And Function

Measurement and evaluation of a human-machine interface is a difficult yet very important issue. The difficulty lies in that the issue is inherently a very subjective, and the importance is that the evaluation is part of design process for systems development. The purpose of evaluation is to see how an interface affects the operation of a human-machine control system in two aspects: the operator's mental workload and the performance in completing tasks. In this paper primarily the eye behaviors measure is discussed, together with some other measures, for evaluating two interface design frameworks: Ecological Interface Design (EID) and Function Behavior State (FBS). The measures we used cover both the measure for mental workload and the measure for performance. It is observed through the experiment that these measures vary in different degrees of sensitivity to the hypothesis under investigation and are sometimes in conflict. This has given a motivation for a further study on a new issue called ‘measure fusion’. This further study is briefly discussed.

scholarly journals Ecological Design of an Augmentative and Alternative Communication Device Interface

2021 ◽  
pp. 155534342110295
Author(s):  
Kaela Shea ◽  
Olivier St-Cyr ◽  
Tom Chau
Keyword(s):  
Interface Design ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
English Language ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Mental Workload ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Neurological Injury ◽  
Ecological Design ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Device

Autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, brain stem stroke, and neurological injury are examples of conditions that may limit vocal communication. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems can provide a communication pathway to users who experience such complex communication needs, facilitating their societal participation and supporting some ability to direct their own care. We adapted the cognitive work analysis (CWA) framework to a linguistic domain for insights into an AAC design that best supports users’ communication. First, we applied the work domain analysis (WDA) to a popular commercial AAC system, Proloquo2Go. Data were gathered from guided AAC system use, domain experts, and the syntactic rules of the English language. The WDA exposed unmet needs in the commercial system. We then applied worker competency analysis to consider different approaches to present information and support user actions. The design included graphic forms and process views, and their integration into viewports and the workspace. Our novel application of CWA uncovered new considerations in AAC interface design and presents a nascent area of investigation, namely, AAC displays that more effectively support users’ goals. Future investigation will evaluate the mental workload of this AAC interface compared to that of current commercially available systems.

Interface Design

2002 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-11
Author(s):  
Kevin Caves ◽  
Frank DeRuyter ◽  
David R. Beukelman
Keyword(s):  
Interface Design
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