Human Factors & Going Green: Study Abroad on Sustainability and Transportation

The Northern European countries have been leaders in sustainability efforts, and support of alternative modes of transportation, focusing on implementation, design and strategies that make these efforts easier to adopt by the broader community. Human Factors (HF) is a discipline that studies human behavior and capabilities with the purpose of applying to the design of products, equipment and systems to maximize safety, effectiveness, and user satisfaction. Three senior faculty in the ERAU human factors department are sponsoring a summer study abroad merging sustainability and human factors. The focus of this study abroad program is on understanding Human Factors as it relates to sustainability as well as first-hand experience with alternative modes of transportation, including trains, trams, bikes, scooters, electric vehicles and others. Three classes – HF and Sustainability, HF and Transportation, and User Experience (UX) will be integrative, each dovetailing into the others. Supplementing the classroom experience will be professional tours of organizations that are known for design and implementation of sustainability (government officials in each country who design and implement sustainability efforts, Volvo etc.) as well as visits to cultural locations that have provided the foundation for the development of these efforts in each country. Locations that will be visited include Amsterdam, Netherlands; Hamburg, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; Gothensburg, Sweden; and Oslo, Norway

Final Report: A Comparison of Three Evaluative Techniques for Validating Maintenance Documentation

Surveys and interviews reveal that general aviation manufacturers rely on user[s] to identify problems in maintenance documentation with corrections typically initiated in response to users-reported problems found in the manual;. This investigation compares techniques that manufacturers can use to improve the quality of the maintenance documentation developed by technical writing groups. The techniques, User Performance and Cognitive Walkthrough, were used to identify problems in aircraft maintenance documentation

Who goes first?: What cues do drivers rely on to evaluate a pedestrian\u27s intention at an intersection?

Throughout our daily interactions we rely on cues provided by body language and facial expressions to navigate social interactions. Similarly, drivers evaluate the intent of pedestrians crossing the road using cues such as body position (facing toward or away from the road), actions (walking or standing), and eye contact. There is little research on how these cues influence interactions between pedestrians and drivers at intersections. For this study, participants viewed videos of driving scenes recorded from the driver’s perspective. Some of the scenes included pedestrians and others did not. Participants were asked to imagine they were driving a car and to evaluate whether it was safe to proceed through the intersection (i.e., safe or unsafe). In cases where pedestrians were present near the intersection, participants were asked to rate how confident they were that the pedestrian was aware of the car. To better understand how drivers evaluate pedestrians, Tobii Pro 2 eye tracking glasses were used to monitor eye movements while participants viewed the driving videos. Results will show how participants\u27 judgments of “safe or unsafe” to proceed are related to a pedestrian’s body position (facing toward or away from the road), actions (walking or standing), and eye contact

Survey of Aviation Maintenance Technical Manuals, Phase 3 Report: Final Report and Recommendations

This report contains the results from the final phase of a three-phase research effort. Phase 1 of this research effort surveyed the procedures used by five aircraft manufacturers to develop maintenance documentation. Several potential human factors issues were identified in the processes used by these manufacturers to develop their maintenance manuals. The issues included the reactive rather than proactive use of user evaluations, the limited use of user input and procedure validation, no systematic attempts to track errors, and the lack of standards for measuring document quality. In Phase 2, a written survey was used to solicit information about user perception of errors in current manuals, manual usage rates, and general manual quality. On-site interviews of technicians were also conducted to gather feedback about the types of problems encountered with manuals, the associated impact, and suggestions for improving manuals. Feedback was obtained from technicians responsible for maintenance on a wide variety of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 25 aircraft. Survey results revealed that, although user evaluations of the accuracy and quality of technical manuals are generally good, they rate manuals as having poor usability. Comparing the results of Phase 1 to the Phase 2 survey results supports the need for a higher level of user involvement during the document development process. In this report, a series of recommendations are outlined to address problem areas identified in Phases 1 and 2. It is recommended that (1) manufacturers and operators improve communication between technicians submitting change requests and technical writers to ensure prompt feedback of actions, (2) maintenance procedures be validated using standard human factors techniques, (3) the industry cooperate in the development of a system akin to MSG-3 for identifying maintenance procedures that should be systematically validated, and (4) manufacturers maintain databases with a history of user-reported errors, feedback to the user, and actions taken. By tracking the history of user error reports, manufacturers can then validate maintenance procedures that have the greatest potential impact on safety or economics. Finally, an example is described (using the MSG-3 process) of how these recommendations may be implemented

Human Factors Survey of Aviation Technical Manuals, Phase 1: Manual Development Procedures

This report contains the results from Phase 1 of a three-phase research effort. Phase 1 examines aviation industry procedures for developing maintenance technical data. Phase 2 will document user problems with maintenance technical data. Phase 3 will identify maintenance technical data development improvements by applying human factors principles. Five aircraft manufacturers were surveyed regarding company policy, communication, data tracking, user feedback, and error reduction efforts. The five industry participants represent both regional and large commercial transport manufacturers. Phase 1 survey results revealed three significant maintenance technical data issues: inconsistent development process guidelines, reactive rather than proactive response to user feedback, and inadequate assessment of errors involving usability as opposed to accuracy. Phase 1 results will later be compared to Phase 2 surveys of user problems with maintenance technical data to identify the impact of development procedures on the users perception of manual quality

Survey of Aviation Technical Manuals, Phase 2 Report: User Evaluation of Maintenance Documents

This report contains the results from Phase 2 of a 3-phase research effort. Phase 1 (Human Factors Survey of Aviation Technical Manuals Phase 1 Report: Manual Development Procedures) of this research effort surveyed the procedures used by five manufacturers to develop maintenance documentation. Several potential human factors issues were identified in the development processes employed by these manufacturers. They included the reactive rather than proactive use of user evaluations, the limited use of user input and procedure validation, no systematic attempts to track error, and the lack of standards for measuring document quality. In Phase 2, a written survey was used to solicit information about user perception of errors in current manuals, manual usage rates, and general manual quality. On-site interviews of technicians were also conducted to gather feedback about the types of problems encountered with manuals, the associated impact, and suggestions for improving manuals. Feedback was obtained from technicians responsible for maintenance on a wide variety of Federal Aviation Regulations, Part 25 aircraft. Survey results revealed that, although user evaluations of the accuracy and quality of technical manuals are generally good, they rate manuals as having poor usability. Comparing the results of Phase 1 to the Phase 2 results supports the need for a higher level of user involvement during the document development process

Rider Assist Technologies: Popular Types, Motivations for Use, and Information Sources Consulted by Users

The ubiquity of advanced in-vehicle technologies for cars highlights the relative scarcity of comparable offerings for motorcycles despite the fact that many can be adapted for this mode of transportation. Aspects of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) such as advanced rider assist technologies may increase the safety of motorcyclists. In this study, we surveyed motorcycle riders about the types of advance technologies their current bikes were equipped with, as well as, the primary motivation for purchasing the technology, and how they learned to use the technologies (if applicable). The most frequently reported technologies owned by riders were handle bar controls, engine brake controls, and cruise control. The primary motivation reported for using the technology was increased safety and improved riding capabilities. The riders were more likely to consult online resources (e.g., YouTube) instead of the manufacturer’s materials when learning about the advanced features of their bikes. While the accessibility of the information makes it easy to reference, the lack of standardization and validity of the online content could contribute to the potential misuse of the technology

Editorial: Exploring the Technological Needs of Older Adults: Advances in Design, Functionality, User Experience, and Age-Related Cognitive and Sensory Aids to Facilitate Adoption

The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, communication, and automation have been the catalyst for the development of a host of new technologies that allow older users to monitor their own health (via wearables), maintain their independence (semi-autonomous driving), social connections (smart home devices), and compensate for a range of age-related sensory changes (hearing aids, smart glasses, augmented displays, etc.). Less well understood is how older users get acquainted with these innovations, how their design and functionality need to be adapted to improve older users’ performance and experience, and which factors and interventions help or hinder technology adoption and use by older users. This Research Topic aims at providing some further insights into these issues

Editorial: Exploring the technological needs of older adults: Advances in design, functionality, user experience, and age-related cognitive and sensory aids to facilitate adoption

Editorial on the Research Topic Exploring the technological needs of older adults: Advances in design, functionality, user experience, and age-related cognitive and sensory aids to facilitate adoptio

Up in the Air: A Human Factors Approach to Enhancing eVTOL Passenger Experience

Although electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles are an emerging mode of transportation, current research indicates that the general public may be unwilling to ride in them due to unfamiliarity and uncertainty about their trust in the technology. This research aimed to better understand potential passenger concerns as well as the factors related to eVTOL design and ride journey that contribute to people’s willingness to ride in them. Understanding these human factors considerations are crucial for addressing issues surrounding the end-to-end passenger experience. Passenger safety, comfort, and acceptance were identified as important areas that influence users’ experience. These areas informed the development of our low-fidelity conceptual designs of physical (e.g., electrochromic windows, ultraviolet light self-cleaning cabin, etc.) and digital (e.g., user-facing mobile app, in-vehicle displays, etc.) solutions. To gauge people’s opinions on these solutions, Embry-Riddle students were asked to participate in questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and user testing. Findings from data analysis informed a second iteration of our designs. This research highlights the importance of considering human factors in the design of eVTOLs to enhance passenger safety, comfort, and acceptance, ultimately facilitating the widespread adoption of this new mode of transportation