Showing papers presented at "Analysis, Design, and Evaluation of Human-Machine Systems in 2013"

Augmented Reality for Human-based Assembly: Using Product and Process Semantics

Abstract: Augmented Reality (AR) can help close the gap between product development and manufacturing operation, mainly because of its ability to reuse and reproduce digital information and knowledge, while supporting assembly operators. This paper presents a semantic-based AR system used for the integration of the existing information and knowledge, available in CAD/PDM systems, for real-time support of the human operator. This study is supported by an algorithm used for the generation of the AR instructions based on the product and process semantics. The results are demonstrated in an automotive use-case.

A Common Work Space for a Mutual Enrichment of Human-Machine Cooperation and Team-Situation Awareness

Abstract: Especially in life-critical systems decision-making entails cognitive functions such as monitoring, as well as fault prevention and recovery. People involved in the control and management of such systems play two kinds of roles: positive thanks to their unique involvement and capacity to deal with the unexpected; and negative with their ability to make errors. But they are also able to detect and correct these mistakes and able to learn from them. Thus human-machine system designer can allow the humans an innovative behavior to be “aware” and to cope with unknown situations by enhancing Situation Awareness (SA). As humans are more and more involved in collective works the constructs of team-SA are important. But the literature shows a great variety and some incoherence in their definitions. That makes difficult to build a design methodology favoring human SA. In parallel, human machine cooperation models have been developed in the last two decades and validated in different dynamic application fields: Air Traffic Control, fighter aircraft cockpit, reconnaissance robot. These studies showed an increase of the problem solving capabilities and a decrease of workload when the tasks are performed by cooperative teams. In this paper we first synthesize main team-SA constructs, we then present principles of humans-machines cooperation and present a Common Work Space as a medium that allow cooperation. We propose to extend it in order to enrich team-SA constructs.

Mobile Interaction Technologies in the Factory of the Future

Abstract: Current production systems become more complex. The increase of complexity is often relayed to the user interface. The transfer of new interaction techniques from the area of information and communication technology into the area of the production automation is a possibility to decrease the operating complexity. This paper introduces several demonstrators with different platforms and interaction metaphors of future interaction methods for the domain of production automation which have been researched in the SmartFactory KL .

Monitoring of the Human Motor Functions Rehabilitation by Neural Networks Based System with Kinect Sensor

Abstract: Application of the Kinect sensor for the automatic monitoring and supervision of the human motor functions rehabilitation is considered in this paper. Information about position of patient limbs provided by Kinect sensor is analyzed by the neural networks based system which determines if therapeutic exercise is performed in correct or incorrect way.

Consequence Reasoning in Multilevel Flow Modelling

Abstract: Consequence reasoning is a major element for operation support system to assess the plant situations. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate how Multilevel Flow Models can be used to reason about consequences of disturbances in complex engineering systems. MFM is a modelling methodology for representing process knowledge for complex systems. It represents the system by using means-end and part-whole decompositions, and describes not only the purposes and functions of the system but also the causal relations between them. Thus MFM is a tool for causal reasoning. The paper introduces MFM modelling syntax and gives detailed reasoning formulas for consequence reasoning. The reasoning formulas offers basis for developing rule-based system to perform consequence reasoning based on MFM, which can be used for alarm design, risk monitoring, and supervision and operation support system design.

Task allocation in production systems - Measuring and Analysing Levels of Automation

Abstract: Due to the paradigm of mass customisation, most of the tasks in final assembly are still performed by humans. Hence, the tasks are becoming more and more complex and the operators need not only physical but also cognitive support to perform their work. The paper discusses the need for a quantitative and easy-to-use method, which simultaneously considers physical and cognitive automation in order to choose and use the best suited Levels of Automation. A concept model used for task allocation is presented. It consists of a five-step main loop supported by other areas or relations were information is gathered to enable a decision in the main loop. The model is compared to Olders’ et al. (1997) sixteen requirements for a task allocation method in order to prove its usefulness. The method has been developed, validated, and verified together with end-users (industry and novice users) in twenty companies to verify its practical ease-of-use.

User-oriented System for Smart City approaches

Abstract: The SMART CITY is an important field for ubiquitous computing (UC), ambient intelligence (AmI), connected vehicles (CV), and the User Interface approach. Data vitalization related to in-city data collection and their appropriate diffusion to city actors (private and professional) and their services (applications) is the main issue. In the context of Hotspot-based Internet, Location-based services and Internet of Things, we study User-oriented systems with four typical variants related to transportation and user' behavior: a dynamic lane allocation system, a system for urban goods delivery, bus shelter-based communication, and street and store consumer adapted guidance and advertising.

Emotion Detection in HCI: From Speech Features to Emotion Space

Abstract: Control mechanisms in modern Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) underwent a paradigm shift from textual or display-based control to more intuitive control mechanisms, such as speech, gesture and mimic. Especially speech provides a high information density, delivering information about the speaker's inner state as well as his intention and demand. While word-based analyses allow to understand the speaker's request, further speech characteristics reveal the speakers emotion, intention and motivation. Therefore, emotion detection from speech became significant in modern HCI applications. However, the results from the disciplines involved in the emotion detection are not easily merged. Engineers developing voice controlled HCI systems work in “feature spaces”, relying on technically measurable acoustic and spectral features. Psychologists analysing and identifying emotions work in emotion categories, schemes or dimensional emotion spaces, describing emotions in terms of quantities and qualities of human notable expressions. While engineering methods notice the slightest variations in speech, emotion theories allow to compare and identify emotions, but must rely on human judgements. However, both perceptions are essential and must be combined to allow machines to allocate affective states during HCI. To provide a link between machine measurable variations in emotional speech and dimensional emotion theory, significant features describing emotions must be identified and analysed regarding their transferability to emotion space. In this article we present a justifiable feature selection for emotion detection from speech and show how to relate measurable features to emotions. We discuss our transformation model and validate both feature selection and model, based on a selection of the Emo-DB corpus.

Could the use of ICT tools be the way to increase competitiveness in Swedish industry

Abstract: When operators gain increasingly critical roles for the performance of industries, the operator competitiveness becomes more significant to maintain the sustainable competitive advantages of their company. The research project ‘Operator of the Future’ aims to increase the competitiveness of future Swedish operators, by providing them with advanced decision support tools. Multiple factors must be considered when specifying operator needs and designing support tools. This paper focuses on operator maturity for use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, professionally and domestically. Further, important aspects of social sustainability are discussed relative to the implementation of ICT tools. Results are presented as analysed empirical data, collected in three global Swedish production companies.

Sociotechnical systems resilience: a dissonance engineering point of view

Abstract: Resilience deals with the capacity to adjust itself face disturbing events, to cope with unforeseeable conditions. Resilience is based upon the dynamic process of “visual piloting”. The gap between the specified task and the done activity generates dissonance between beliefs and representations. In many cases, such as silent migration or normalization of deviance, management of dissonance is hazardous. The proposition of this article deals with a resilient management of dissonance. The case study expresses the management of dissonance in the context of railway accident.

A Vision on Training and Knowledge Sharing Applications in Future Factories

Abstract: Under the pressure of global technological, social and economic changes, manufacturing enterprises require to invest in the advanced training of their employees The technological basis for new forms of training and knowledge sharing concepts is created by advances in information and communication technology (ICT) and human-computer interaction (HMI) The paper provides an overview about the vision on human-centered production from the perspective of the EU-FP7 project VISTRA The relevant state-of-the-art for training and knowledge sharing systems is described and the future trends and requirements are anticipated On the example of the vehicle industry the qualification requirements are stated and transferred into two visionary systems for knowledge-delivery and skill transfer

Rail Human Factors-Human-centred design for railway systems

Abstract: In our Rail Human Factors approach, we define the human as the starting point for our interdisciplinary research on the design of human-machine interfaces in railway systems. Our research is based on three key issues: understanding the user (operator), evaluating existing systems, and developing and testing new concepts. Furthermore, we develop new methods for evaluation and design of railway systems. In the present paper we explain our approach and give examples for its application.

An empirical investigation of the development of driver's mental model of a Lane Departure Warning system while driving

Abstract: Like all man-made artefacts, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems have certain limitations beyond which they cannot function properly or work at all. The users in the driving domain have diverse backgrounds and it is likely that many of them start interacting with the technology without having gained detailed knowledge, such as by reading user manuals. This study explores whether drivers with only minimal knowledge of the Lane Departure Warning system can recognize the system's speed threshold and update themselves about this in a dynamic driving environment. Since drivers are not always single-mindedly focused on driving, a group of participants was also prompted to perform a secondary task while driving. Our investigation allowed us to estimate the effects of 1) drivers' minimal mental model of the system's working and 2) insufficient knowledge concerning the system capacities, upon their situation awareness and their capabilities of learning from experience. It was assumed that the demands of multitasking would impair the driver's ability to observe the system's state and delay the mental model improvement process, compared to a setting in which driving was the only task. Experiment results using a driving simulator have been presented.

Visualization of Control Structure in Human-Automation System Based on Cognitive Work Analysis

Abstract: Human operators who supervise advanced automation systems need information not only about the systems being controlled but also about the automation itself engaged in the system control. They are required to have correct mental models on mechanisms and constraints underlying in the system functions to make decisions on monitoring and adjusting complex interaction among subsystems or components. In the present paper, a new method is proposed to investigate complex control structures consisting of human and technological agents based on the framework of Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA). After the first two stages of CWA, their separate results will be combined into a unified picture which gives visualization of connections between different controllers' tasks and the system being controlled. Finishing mill, a highly automated manufacturing process, is employed as an example domain to demonstrate how this method make visible the complex control structure within the system.

Dealing with the Unexpected in our Complex Socio-Technical World

Abstract: This paper presents and discusses the imperative necessity to use complexity science principles and approaches to deal with the open world where we live in. During the 20th century, we have developed theories, methods and tools based on linear approaches to engineering systems that consider unexpected and rare events as exceptions, instead of including them in the flow of everyday events, handled by well-trained and experienced experts in specific domains. Consequently, regulations, clumsy automation and operational procedures are still accumulated in the short term instead of integrating long-term experience feedback. This results in the concept of quality assurance and human-machine interfaces (HMI) instead of focusing on human-system integration. Quality assurance promoted standardization; HMI promoted corrective ergonomics, instead of human-centered design from the early stages of product life cycle. It is time to depart from this linear approach based on standardization and procedures to investigate our non-linear dynamic world based on expertise and flexibility. We promote human-centered processes such as creativity, adaptability and problem solving. We then need to be better acquainted with risk taking, preparation, maturity management, complacency emerging from routine operations, and educated common sense. These fundamental assets are presented using examples from various life-critical domains.

Towards Seamless Mobility: Individual Mobility Profiles to Ease the Use of Shared Vehicles

Abstract: The fast dissemination and increasing popularity of new mobility concepts such as car sharing reflect the change in people's attitude towards mobility. While the demand for individual mobility is still growing, decisions about how to actually satisfy a demand for mobility are increasingly made on rather a rational than an emotional basis. Intermodality is considered to be the key to sustainable mobility. Meanwhile, car manufacturers do not miss to provide an increasing number of personalization, infotainment and connectivity features in their products (e.g., access to e-mails and social network accounts). Scenarios, in which a car providing numerous adjustable features is shared by many people with different likings and preferences, present a new type of usability challenge for the design of efficient Human-Machine-Interaction (HMI) in vehicles. In this paper we present the current state of work on a new concept to ease the HMI in case of shared vehicles. The concept is based on the platform independent modeling of user preferences to allow the automatic personalization of vehicle settings thus saving time and avoiding driver distraction.

Augmenting Situational Awareness for First responders using Social media as a sensor

Abstract: First responders to an emergency situation rely on ground truths measured by various sensing mechanisms for effective decision making. The sensors are typically airborne or ground based. Seamless sharing of information among users using Social networking provides for a unique type of sensor. This human-as-a sensor is already deployed in the field and only requires harvesting of the information to glean ground truth. Further, the proliferation of the smartphones and their connectivity networks has powered the ordinary individuals to share and acquire information regarding the events happening in his/her immediate vicinity in a real-time fashion. The information provided by these sensors is already annotated with descriptions such as “urgency” “critically wounded” which normally would not be found in traditional machine based sensors. Further, when appropriately employed this real-time data can support in detecting localized events like fire, accidents, shooting, etc…, as they unfold and pin-point individuals being affected by those events. The spatio-temporal information can be indexed, grouped and deployed on Smartphones and other devices that first responders can use in the field to augment decision making. In this vein, under SATE and YATE programs, the research team at AFRL TecˆEdge Discovery labs had demonstrated the feasibility of developing Smartphone applications, that can provide a augmented reality view of the appropriate detected events in a given geographical location (localized) and also provide an event search capability over a large geographic extent. In its current state, the application thru its backend connectivity utilizes a data (Text & Image) processing framework, which deals with data challenges like; identifying and aggregating important events, analyzing and correlating the events temporally and spatially and building a search enabled event database. Further, the smartphone application with its backend data processing workflow has been successfully field tested with live user generated feeds.

Know Your Options – Interfacing Consequences and Forecasted Performance Analysis: A Concept for the Novel Type of Information System KYO-ICPA

Abstract: Knowing the options of situated behavior is a necessary assumption for optimal behavior. Stimulated by previously published ideas of a posteriori calculating of the human action space to analyze the human performance behavior with respect to upcoming positive or negative events, the idea should be used online. Combining interaction rules, human operators' behavior as well as knowledge describing the system behavior to be controlled, related actual and forecasted information will be calculated and shown to the operator in realtime. Two different kind of information has to be distinguished: hazard-oriented and optimal behavior-oriented ones. Hazard-oriented information (HOI) is used to those information showing upcoming conflicts leading directly to hazards with respect to humans, systems, or environments safety. Optimal behavior-oriented information (OBOI) is denoted as those information feeding back the consequences of the operators actual behavioral interaction strategy in relation to calculated optimal ones. Using the example of a novel type of human driver assistance system realized using a driver-in-the-loop test rig coupled with a Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) hybrid-electric powertrain all related information from the technical system as well as from the drivers interaction can be used and integrated for the use in the novel cognitive-based information and assistance system KYO-ICPA developed at the Chair of Dynamics and Control, U DuE.

Community-Based Co-Design for Informal Care: Bridging the Gap between Technology and Context

Abstract: Innovative Product Service Systems (PSSs) are needed in order to keep the healthcare system affordable, while safeguarding or enhancing care quality. This study examined application of the Community-based Co-design approach to assistive technology development for informal care. A sequence of methods was applied, involving end-users and communities in the earliest design stages. A design target was found together with informal caregivers, and a solution was iteratively developed together with various stakeholders. This PSS solution enables the informal caregiver both to monitor the care recipient while being away, and to efficiently manage emergency situations if these occur. The PSS arranges existing technology in a unique and contextually appropriate way. This makes the solution much more likely to be accepted by end-users and their neighborhood communities. Community-based Co-design was essential in reaching this result. After the early design stage, an embodiment design stage was carried out. Various qualitative research and design engineering methods were combined, 1) to develop and validate the estimated supportive value of the PSS to target users, and 2) to develop and study the feasibility of the PSS. A role-play evaluation study formed an important part of this process. Significant insights from both the early and embodiment design stages were fed back as far as possible into the PSS itself, or into PSS design requirements. Reflecting on the results, it has become more likely that the PSS will have supportive value to caregivers, and that the PSS is feasible. Several recommendations were made for further development - in particular, the societal cost-benefit analysis for the PSS is promising but premature, and requires elaboration.

Analysis of longitudinal driving behaviors during car following situation by the driver's EEG using PARAFAC

Abstract: Vehicle technology of the interaction between human and the machine has been called human-electronics in Japan. It is necessary to achieve a better relationship between human and vehicle. A driver's information, which can be obtained from steering operation, pedal operation, camera images and physiological information, particularly is crucial to find a method to determine a driver's operational intention. Recently, some former researches have been reported about the investigation of the brain activity of the driver. The time frequency analysis such as FFT has been major method in the traditional decomposition of the electroencephalogram (EEG). However, these conventional methods can only use two-dimensional data. In this paper, we described that the driver's EEG during car following was decomposed by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), and we investigated the feature factor of longitudinal behavior for recognize and judgment from that decomposition result. PARAFAC analysis has known as a multi-channel EEG analysis of multi-dimensional data. Consequently, Common to all subjects has two factors of the frequency component which were in the 5-10 Hz and 8-13 Hz. Those factors were changed by the driver's mental state during visual recognition and judgment. In addition, we estimated the feature factor from a new EEG data set using inverse solution of PARAFAC. From estimation results, the driver recognized preferentially shape and color than distance and movement information in the car following situation.

A dissonance management model for risk analysis

Abstract: This paper proposes an original approach to analyze risks based on a dissonance management model called DIMAGE. A dissonance occurs when divergences between individual or collective knowledge occurs. The control of such dissonance relates to the risks associated to the current dissonance and the possible risks due to its treatment. The knowledge control consists in reinforcing knowledge regarding the results of the dissonance management. The dissonance control of the DIMAGE model takes advantage of positive and negative feedback from the other modules in order to improve the knowledge control. Stability profiles are used to analysed possible hazardous dissonance production associated to knowledge dimensions such as the expert knowledge level, the believe level on knowledge, the perceived, the interpreted or the real risks of a dissonance. A case study is discussed using these stability profiles with two dimensions: the knowledge content and the interpreted risks. It concerns the identification of possible dangerous dissonances related to the use of an automated tool to control the car speed. The stability profiles are used to model the possible evolution of knowledge and of the interpreted risks related to the control of several dissonances, and to identify possible problematic dissonances in terms of erroneous or conflicting knowledge or erroneous interpreted risks on safety or consumption. Copyright © 2013 IFAC

Improving physical-physiological interaction requirements for maintenance enabling systems specification

Abstract: Recurrent incident reports indicate that ground operators have not always performed the right action or made the right decision following maintenance operations of transport systems. This paper explores first the physical-physiological requirements for a human to perceive right the meaning of symbolic properties technical objects afford when they are being maintained in variable contextualized situations. This paper explores then the impact of these necessary but not sufficient Human Factors requirements on the specification process of a maintenance enabling system by prototyping a door latch lock case-study with a modeling environment based on SysML.

Communication Technologies for the Improvement of Marine Transportation Operations

Abstract: The short-sea waterborne transportation makes use of several systems and technologies which are not interconnected neither interoperable, including inner ship mechanical and information, communication systems and complex alert situation and terrorist attack prevention systems located both in ports, inland and on-board the ships. Each single system and piece of technology delivers complex data, other information and functionalities which are vital for the working stability of all waterborne transport operations. The integration of specific decision support functionalities based on information and communication technologies (ICT) in the intelligent ship management systems could deliver new business functionalities and indeed make waterborne transportation more autonomous, efficient and safer. In this paper, current stages of development of the intelligent transportation concept are discussed and a robust ships systems integration and communication system concept is presented for several normal and abnormal situations: high-traffic, potentially dangerous situations or port approaching or ship maintenance, with the capability to solve problems with the limited human interface and with a remote control possibility.

The Safest Way to Scroll a List: A Usability Study Comparing Different Ways of Scrolling Through Lists on Touch Screen Devices

Abstract: Seven different types of touch screen scrolling lists were compared in terms of input speed, input error rate, and subjective rating. The study was conducted on a 9″ tablet computer. Participants had to find and select given items on lists of different length. The compared list scrolling variants were a scrollbar, page flipping with buttons, page flipping with direct manipulation, direct manipulation of a continuous list with simulated physics (inert list), direct manipulation of a continuous list without simulated physics, and the latter two variants with an additional alphabetically labeled index bar/scrollbar. The page flipping with direct manipulation and the continuous direct manipulation without simulated physics performed significantly worse than all others in terms of input speed and error rate. The differences between the other variants were insignificant. Participants favored continuous direct manipulation with simulated physics and an alphabetical index bar, which performed well overall.

Driving Assist System: Shared Haptic Human System Interaction

Abstract: Driver assist systems can be designed from many different perspectives. In a context where joint responsibility between human and machine is needed for safe control of the vehicle, a shared haptic implementation that is integrated into the driver's existing cognitive-action-cycle is advocated. One example where joint responsibility is needed is traveling through a road with tight passages. Most drivers feel uncertain about their vehicle size under such conditions leading to slow travel. The shared haptic steering control support detailed in this paper shows that drivers performed their task with fewer large steering angles, more small epistemic steering actions, but overall less total steering. The adopted controller is mimicked after a human controller to facilitate mutually intuitive shared-collaboration, which is one reason why the support is accepted and adopted readily. The underlying philosophy is one of distributed cognition in which the mechanical system presents the driver with a tool that can be used to different degrees of collaborative support depending on the driver's perceived need and the system's capability.

Real-time risk estimation for better situational awareness

Abstract: Recent calamities have demonstrated that risks are often not well communicated to management level Operational risks are difficult to communicate and hard to assess Research performed at the University of Leiden and adopted by Shell has resulted in the acceptance of BowTie diagrams as a way to communicate risks between specialists and non-specialists, as the BowTie approach takes into account threats and consequences, as well as control measures and recovery measures This paper discusses the application of such diagrams in a real-time software environment as part of the supervisory control system, as part of the independent advanced control system or as part of the high performance human machine interface

A shared control driving assistance system : interest of using a driver model in both lane keeping and obstacle avoidance situations

Abstract: In this work, a driving assistance system (DAS) sharing the control of a vehicle with a human driver is proposed. The cooperation degree between the DAS and the human driver is in the center of this work with the aims of reducing conflict between them. A lane keeping driver model is added to the road-vehicle one in order to achieve this goal. Fuzzy Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) optimal controller is driven considering a varying vehicle longitudinal velocity. The system is evaluated regarding both the human-machine interaction point of view in hazardous situation and the lane keeping performance. Firstly, numerical simulations carried out in Matlab/Simulink are illustrated, and after, the proposed DAS is tested on the LAMIH-SHERPA dynamic simulator with a human driver. The obtained results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

The Usability Engineering Repository UsER for the Development of Task- and Event-based Human-Machine-Interfaces

Abstract: The Usability Engineering Repository (UsER) is a flexible development environment to support collaborative analysis, design and evaluation of interactive human-machine systems. For this purpose, UsER provides several modules, which cover different aspects and methods of the development of human-machine interfaces. UsER supports the contextualized development of user interfaces in a broad range of application areas like office systems as well as safety-critical control systems by providing general as well as domain specific analysis, design and evaluation modules. These modules may be applied as needed and their contents will be cross-referenced through linked entities and hypermedia relationships. This semantic network created through analysis, design and evaluation can be mapped into linear document structures for formal development purposes, especially for project deliverables and contracts. UsER can be integrated with other development environments through a standardized requirements interface as well as a standardized process model interface.

Comparing Image Guidance Systems to Improve Complex Navigation in Medicine

Abstract: One of the most technically challenging procedure in interventional radiology is a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) placement. The main problem is the limited image guidance while navigating. The physician basically punctures blind through the liver into the target portal vein, leading to many unsuccessful punctures and unnecessary risks before access to the portal vein is gained. To be able to improve guidance, developers have to be sure to use the most promising image modality available. This paper compares the available modalities for TIPS to various criteria to find which modality is the most suitable to improve the success of the puncture. Results showed that, even though many user interface improvements are required, real-time three-dimensional ultrasound has the most potential to improve the puncture in the future. The study emphasizes the importance of thorough technology analysis before developing medical devices.

The Warning Glove: Wearable Computing Technology for Maintenance Assistance in IPS2

Abstract: This paper presents an approach on how multimodality and wearable technology can be used to design an innovative device for maintenance assistance of human operators in Industrial Product-Service Systems (IPS2). Based on findings from wearable computing technology and multimodality in warning design, the concept and prototypic realization of a multimodal action-specific warning glove is introduced. This glove provides visual, auditory and haptic feedback. To test the glove's usability the maintenance scenario “changing a spindle” was used. The results of the short version of the ISONORM 9241/110 questionnaire encourage further improvements of the warning glove.