AHFE Open AccessHuman Factors in Software and Systems Engineering
Editors: Tareq Ahram
Topics: Systems Engineering
Publication Date: 2024
ISBN: 978-1-964867-16-8
DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005030
Articles
Humans, Physical Systems, Cyber Systems and Artificial Intelligence – An initial Architectural Integration
This research at Airbus DS started on 2015 with the integration of Humans into the Engineering Approach initially via Architecture Frameworks and Human Views, we then adding Human System Integration (HSI) and Human Engineering and are now moving into Physical and Cyber Systems with intelligent decision making. The aim of this research is to investigate and integrate various lines of development from Cockpit Design to Intelligent Manufacture that can have direct intelligent interaction with humans.
Robert Sharples
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Understanding user needs of personalisation-based automated systems with development and application of novel ideation cards
Personalisation is a commonly utilised technology in socially focused online platforms. It has gathered widespread usage through its ability to match a system to the needs of users through their data. This allows systems to be more user-friendly or effective in their use cases. Due to its widespread usage, it will not be long before the technology becomes just as common in the workplace. Currently, there is a limited number of existing personalisation systems in workplace settings, thus, one of the main challenges is gathering user needs. To gather these user needs, a set of Personalisation Design Cards (PDCs) were developed. When these cards are played, they allow end users to design their own theoretical personalisation systems. By containing a selection of information about personalisation systems, data types and potential use cases (in this case, manufacturing), participants can craft systems and evaluate different personalisation approaches. The PDCs were utilised in codesign workshops. Participants indicated that they preferred “dynamic” systems and system shortcuts, while they held reservations about compensation, data accuracy and specific data types. The workshops also enabled the evaluation of the cards.The implications of the research are the creation of the Personalisation design cards, which have shown an ability to engage users in the design process and allow industry organisations to examine how potential systems could function early in the design process.
Joshua Duvnjak, Ayse Kucukyilmaz, Robert Houghton
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Human factors in hybrid threat risk assessment
The goal of the paper is to propose a user-centered approach to create a hybrid threat risk model that considers human errors to complement traditional risk models and increases risk assessment accuracy.The authors consider a place of human factors in hybrid threat risk assessment and indicate that human factors influence human vulnerability, which is a component of hybrid threat risk.The proposed approach to creating a hybrid threat risk assessment model contains the following main components: a database of direct human factors, a database of human errors, a method of human vulnerability assessment, and a method of human-centered hybrid threat risk assessment. The proposed approach is based on the use of the neural network, which determines the correlation between the database of direct human factors and the database of human errors to assess human vulnerability.The outcomes of the research will be beneficial for making decisions regarding personnel management strategies aimed at strengthening human vulnerability.
Maryna Zharikova, Stefan Pickl
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Sociotechnical Aspects of Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Systems
Decentralized wastewater treatment systems are utilized in areas where sewer systems are not feasible and septic service is unaffordable. Approximately 25% of the US population uses decentralized wastewater systems for their wastewater treatment. The Black Belt, which extends from the East Coast of the US from Virginia through the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi is an area that has a large population that depends on decentralized wastewater systems. In the State of Alabama, the Black Belt area is a 17-county region where, depending on the county, up to 85% of the residents rely on decentralized wastewater treatment. These decentralized systems are largely unaffordable for the residents in this region due to a median household income of $29K, which is half of the national average. One proposed system is a low-cost lab-scale hybrid evapotranspiration/lateral flow sand filter. The hybrid sand filter system is designed to treat 55 gallon per day (GPD) of septic tank effluent, sized at 13 ft x 12 ft x 3 ft. The influent is treated physically, chemically, and biologically within the sand layers of the system. Hydraulically, influent flows laterally and rises via capillary action within the sand layers. The system has a correlation to ambient temperature and humidity. Lower discharge rates are directly proportional to higher temperature and humidity. The following data represents the percent reduction for our wastewater treatment system: Ammonia (64%), Phosphorus (92%), COD (76%), and BOD (96%). The hydraulic and treatment data for the hybrid sand filter system are promising. In this analysis, the authors identify sociotechnical factors that can affect the performance and useful life of the system in a multiple decision matrix. Sociotechnical factors, such as persons per residence, electricity usage, and distance of the decentralized system from the residence, are analyzed to build a simple agent-based model (ABM) which will determine the impacts on the overall performance of the system.
Rachel Chai, Bhushan Lohar, Kaushik Venkiteshwaran, Sean Walker, Kevin White
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Human Factors Design for Particle Accelerator Control Room Interfaces
Fermilab, the birthplace of many scientific discoveries in physics and particle accelerator sciences, is in the midst of a widescale modernization effort. The Accelerator Control Operations Research Network (ACORN project’s goal is to modernize the accelerator control system by replacing end-of-life power supplies and enhance future operations of the Fermilab accelerator complex with megawatt particle beams. Within ACORN, opportunities for process improvement concerning software development, human-system interface design, and task performance are also being considered. Human factors researchers from Idaho National Laboratory in collaboration with usability experts from Fermilab, are currently investigating human-centered design improvements for the accelerator control system. For example, substantial tribal knowledge and memory recall are required to effectively operate the accelerator system. This contributes to high cognitive workload and potential burnout of accelerator operators. Developing guidance for consistent visual and functional design enables a more intuitive interaction and relieves operators of cognitive burden. Additionally, developing more intuitive and integrated interfaces can also lead to improved accelerator efficacy by empowering operators with greater understanding and control of the systems. The challenge in developing such interfaces is in designing for a wide variety of user goals, system specifications, and level of experience in users. The challenges need to be met while e also considering the maintainability of the control system. The purpose of this paper is to detail the human factors process and design within the ACORN project, describe results gathered thus far, and discuss the larger implications for this work.
Rachael Hill, Zachary Spielman, Casey Kovesdi, Katya Le blanc, Madelyn Polzin
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Approach to Member Checking Support for Characterizing Team Processes with Discrepant Information about Team Roles
In order to determine whether a process should be improved, it is important to first be able to characterize it. The characterization process is more difficult with team processes involving multiple roles, especially when every role does not participate in and does not have complete knowledge about each task. Ideally analysts should be able to elicit process knowledge from all participating roles synchronously and with sufficient time to cover all related topics. However practical constraints limit such process knowledge elicitation sessions and therefore lead to discrepant information across data collection instances. We present an approach for automating the identification of discrepant data related to role information for the associated team process. The approach includes highlighting the strength of the evidence derived from the interviewees and thereby identifying opportunities for member checking based on conflicts between those who are classified as providing strong evidence for a particular task and based on the need for confirming information when all of the interviewees are classified as providing weak evidence for a particular task.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSThe National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) funded this study through an investigator-initiated research grant (1R01HL153735; PI: Lane-Fall).
Ellen Bass, Ya Xuan Wu, Nathaniel Barnett
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Human centered design (HCD) and software development process
ISO TC159 deals with Human Factors and Ergonomics Standards. They have four sub-committees (SCs), they are, SC1 "General ergonomic principles", SC3 "Anthropometry and biomechanics", SC4 "Ergonomics of human system interaction" and SC5 "Ergonomics of physical environment" and over 100 standards has been published. It is important that ISO is useful for industrial area. But it is also important to be supported by academic area.The theme and concept of ISO TC159/SC4 are as follows:1.Human centered design (HCD) / usability: process and concept, format related software engineering2.Interaction: interaction principles, principles of presentation of information3.Display/ image: hardware characteristics and image safety4.Environment: desk and chair in HCI, object about physical environment and things about work style.5.Control panel: design for central control room in a large size control systemIn these, most of standards Almost of them have been standardized as ISO9241 series in ergonomics standards.These five themes are much important for social system from the viewpoint of ergonomics. Especially, HCD is necessary for improving software usability. There are four activities in HCD, they are, clarify context of use, “Understand and specify the context of use”, “specify the user requirements”, “produce design solutions to meet these requirements”, “evaluate the designs against requirements”. As examples of outcome of HCD activities, format related software engineering, i.e., “Common Industry Format for usability related information (CIF)” are prepared.This paper shows the result of systematization relationship among standardization about interaction, presentation of information, HCD and software quality, especially software quality. To systematize these relations, it can be clarified that the relationship among process model, process assessment model, software quality and HCD.
Shinichi Fukuzumi, Nowky Hirasawa
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
A definition of Inclusive Systems Engineering
This paper provides the first definition of inclusive systems engineering, as well as eight criteria we deem important for tools to be considered supporting inclusive systems engineering. Inclusive systems engineering focuses on domain experts by making systems engineering more approachable, reducing the need for communication between systems engineers and domain experts. To achieve this, we incorporate techniques of model-based systems engineering and agile software engineering approaches.
Sandor Dalecke
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Designing User Persona Cards to Support the Development of Digital Human-Computer Interaction Learning Games
This paper introduces a set of user persona cards intended to support the design and validation of learning games in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). After conducting a survey to understand our target audience better, we used the data to create four personas: one primary, two secondary, and one anti-persona. They prioritize specific player profiles and key attributes identified in the survey. Our user persona cards can serve as a quick and convenient tool to acquire information about the target audience, thereby enabling HCI learning game developers to gain a deeper understanding and more effectively address their users’ needs.
André Barros De Sales, Eduardo Palmeira, Fabiana Mendes, Mateus Augusto Sousa Silva
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Green Software Engineering Practices: Familiarity, Skills and Understandability among Mid-Bachelor ICT students
The need for greener software engineering is apparent due to the increase in energy consumption and carbon emissions in the ICT sector, which pose significant challenges to environmental sustainability. By integrating green practices into the skillset of ICT students, they can contribute to sustainable development in the field. To understand what green software engineering skills mid-bachelor level ICT students already possess, and what they lack, this empirical research presented 154 green software engineering practices to 40 participants in a survey, which asked about their familiarity, ability to implement (skills), and understanding of each practice. Results implicate weakest knowledge and skills in server-side, system- and technology-specific practices, which are further described with vague acronyms that cause ambiguity. Reflections on contributions to the local context and implications for further research are discussed.
Kimmo Tarkkanen
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Navigating the Future Control Room: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities
The energy system is undergoing significant changes and is expected to continue to evolve. Energy demand is anticipated to increase, as is renewable energy capacity, and technical solutions are advancing. For electrical power, traditionally centralized production is increasingly complemented by distributed production, transforming fundamental system functionality. These developing factors will affect both the power generation and the electric power control systems, which are supervised and run by human operators with support from various technical systems. The purpose of this paper is to present trends in the nuclear power and electric power control room systems as well as possible effects on the human technology organization (HTO) system. Semi-structured interviews were performed with 16 people having various types of expertise linked to process control. The results indicated that in the future there are many possible new technologies and support systems that would affect nuclear power plant - and transmission grid operators in their daily work and the organizations they belong to. With a digitalized control room with higher level of automation, remote operations were pointed out as a path forward. However, cyber-security issues were raised as a challenge. Furthermore, small modular reactors were mentioned to be safer and more efficient but raised many questions regarding organizational changes and operator activity levels. An increasing amount of weather dependent power was predicted to make balancing tasks more complex for transmission grid operators, also affecting the nuclear power plant organizations. To conclude, this study underscores the need for a comprehensive HTO perspective to address evolving roles, safety concerns, and protocols for operator intervention during system failures, necessitating further research in these areas.
Signe Svensson, Anna-lisa Osvalder, Jonas Borell
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Staffing in small modular reactors - first impressions
Small modular reactor (SMR) development around the world has seen significant progress in recent years. Some of the unique characteristics that may impact control room operations include integral core design, passive safety systems, low fission products in case of release, flexible power outputs, and siting flexibility. The policy for staffing in SMRs is still an open question as there is a wide variety of implementation possibilities due to the varied designs and application contexts. Some vendors plan single unit deployment, while others suggest operation of multiple units from one control room. However, the policy on staffing will potentially be interdependent on several other factors such as the concept of operation, communication style, integrated system validation including control room design, and level of automation. This study investigated two staffing arrangements in a six-unit SMR simulator with licensed nuclear power plant operators. We discuss variations in how; participants organize themselves and assign responsibility in the absence of a defined concept of operation, their monitoring strategies, how they respond to failures and prioritize task work, and how they respond to single unit and multiple unit failures. We also discuss the workload participants experienced during the scenarios implemented. The limitations of our studies and implications for future research and industry application are presented.
Awwal Arigi, Maren Eitrheim
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Overview of Displays for nuclear control rooms: a good practices study
Overview displays are commonly used in nuclear control rooms for improved overview and situational awareness. There is, however, a need to gain more knowledge into how such displays can be used in effective ways with operator performance in mind. The purpose of this paper is therefore to collect good practices useable as input to both new builds and modernization projects. A user-centric approach is adopted by interviewing crews of nuclear operators. Data is collected through semi-structured interviews based on concepts of situational awareness. In total eight crews (28 operators) were introduced to one of two large overview display, before the interview sessions. The results suggest that the overview display should be a stable frame of reference, leaving detailed interaction to the operator workstation. They should present key data, guiding operator actions in both normal and abnormal situations. The use of trends and balancing graphs are given positive feedback. There are concerns regarding both readability and consistency issues for the overview displays used in the study. It is suggested that the overview displays help the crew to have a shared experience, being at common ground. We conclude that the findings are congruent with the major industrial standards and guidelines, and therefore represent good practices. We are, however, cautious of using the term best practices due to weaknesses in the study procedure. We suggest advancing this work with further studies with other overview display implementations.
Alf Ove Braseth, Alexandra Fernandes
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Measuring nuclear control room operators’ performance in the context of overview displays
Overview Displays have a potential to provide a high-level, comprehensive view of complex data, systems, or processes. They are used within control room settings to facilitate a quick understanding of the overall context. There is, however, scarce documentation of the effects of the use of overview displays on human performance. We ran two studies with two different overview displays. The two studies were intended to mimic different concepts and implementations of overview displays. In Study 1 the large screen overview display used a design concept consistent with the workstation displays design. In Study 2, an alternative overview display was presented, composed of several smaller/tiled screens, being graphically inconsistent with the workstation display design (e.g. different colour codes). The results indicate that there might be a cost on performance linked to the implementation of overview displays when the different interfaces available in the control room are incongruent. These findings are discussed attending to design and human factors approaches. We conclude with a reflection over the limitations of the study and possible recommendations on the use and implementation of overview displays in new and already existing control rooms.
Alexandra Fernandes, Alf Ove Braseth, Robert McDonald
Open Access
Article
Conference Proceedings
Initial Operating Experiences in a Digital Control Room
In spring 2023, a new nuclear power plant (NPP) unit become operational in Finland and was connected to the national grid for electricity production. The turnkey construction of the unit was closely followed not only by the nuclear community but also the public. There are many features that make the new unit unique and of special interest. For example, the process control is carried out through a fully digital human-system interface (HSI). In nuclear industry, high safety and quality demands are set for the control room (CR) design and HSI systems to be used in the operation of the power plant. Before taken into use, a comprehensive quality and safety assurance through formal verification and validation (V&V) process of HSIs should be carried out to ensure that the new control system design continues to support safety and usability (YVL B.1, 2013). NUREG-0711 (O’Hara et al., 2012) review guide also set out several human factors activities that should be accomplished during the life cycle of the control system, for example, carrying out the early design phase analyses and allocation of functions to human and automation. In the case of the new NPP unit, in-service monitoring of the CR and HSI systems is a topical human factors activity after the commissioning. This is an important human factors activity even often less discussed since through it, for example training needs and important issues to be addressed in the product development process can be identified.We have conducted a walkthrough exercise of the new CR and HSI systems and a questionnaire study to collect initial operating experiences in the new digital CR and to support setting up the in-services monitoring activity regarding the operation of the new unit. Based on the results of the walkthrough, a systems usability questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was distributed to the operators of the NPP.In the paper, we report the results of the HSI walkthrough and the survey. According to the simulator trainers, some new HFE issues have emerged after commissioning that were nor addressed in validation tests.Contrary to the handling of incident and accident situations that are central in V&V tests the main focus of in-service monitoring concerns normal operative activities. Topics that were addressed include, among others, preferences for different formats (paper vs. computer-based) of procedures, the use of two languages (English in HSIs and procedures and Finnish in normal conversation), and the needs for additional training.REFERENCESSäteilyturvakeskus: YVL B.1: Safety design of a nuclear power plant, 15 November 2013. Chapter 5.3: Control rooms.J. M. O’Hara et al., “Human Factors Engineering Program Review Model,” NUREG-0711, Rev. 3, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2012).
Hanna Koskinen, Jari Laarni, Satu Pakarinen, Tomi Passi, Kristian Lukander, Tuisku-Tuuli Salonen, Marja Liinasuo
Open Access
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Conference Proceedings