Human Centered Technologies Analysis Tool

Victor Riley

User Interaction Research and Design, Inc.Point Roberts, WA

June 29, 2005

Project team

• Dr. Tom Raslear, FRA• Stephen Reinach, Foster-Miller• Kurt Bruck, Foster-Miller• Dr. Victor Riley, UIR&D

Background

• Technology and systems becoming more complex

• HF issues coming to the fore– FRA: new rule on processor-based control

systems– FAA: new rule on design-related human error

• Too many problems, not enough regulators with HF expertise

FRA Human Centered Technologies Tool

• FRA wants tool to help Office of Safety personnel evaluate systems and UIs for potential human factors problems

• Current status: beta version

Design related error

• Fitts and Jones (1947):– Substitution errors– Adjustment errors– Forgetting errors– Reversal errors– Unintentional activation errors– Inability to reach a control

Design related error

• Fitts and Jones (1947):– Substitution errors– Adjustment errors– Forgetting errors– Reversal errors– Unintentional activation errors– Inability to reach a control

More specifically:

• Controls:– Violation of cultural expectations– Inconsistencies within the interface– Adjacent controls with conflicting functions– Protections– Hidden functions– Mode errors– Separation– Appropriate placement for importance– Appropriate selection for number and type of functions– Color

More specifically:

• Displays:– Violation of cultural expectations– Inconsistencies within the design– Adjacent displays with conflicting functions– Color (appropriateness, contrast)– Appropriate placement for importance– Control/display relationships

• Feedback• Labels• Function keys

More specifically:

• Automation:– Potential situation awareness gaps due to

combinations of automation

functions

displays

controls

operator

SA parameters

SA parameters

More specifically:

• Automation:– Potential situation awareness gaps due to

combinations of automation

automation functions

displays

controls

operator

SA parameters

SA parameters

More specifically:

• Multiple interfaces:– Compare two systems/interfaces for

inconsistencies (interface and automation)• Interoperability• Mixed-fleet flying• Differences training

System 1

- type

- location

- appearance

- motion

- logic

System 2

- type

- location

- appearance

- motion

- logic

Function

Tool role

• Inform, not replace, regulator decision-making• Plan to make tool available to industry after FRA

acceptance

Tool input

• Upload picture of interface for guide• Designate types and positions of controls and

displays• Define appearance of controls and displays• Define control and display functions• Identify SA parameters associated with

controls and displays• Define automation

Beta version

• Will also be able to analyze some aspects of graphical user interfaces

Final version

• Will also be able to analyze graphical user interfaces and function keys, dual interfaces, automation– conflicting function types assigned to same key on

different screens– same function assigned to different keys on

different screens

Screen Name Page key 1 key 2 key 3 key 4main 2 DDA

representative 5 DDA

failed diagnostics 10

initialization 13 DDA proximity

initialization 15 yes

confirmationcut in/out 21

cut out

go to new screen

go to new screen

go to new screen go to new screen

yes

1 2 3 4 5blank 1 1 1 1 1activate function 0 0 1 1 1go to new screen 1 1 1 1 1back to prior screen 1 0 0 0 0acknowledge 0 0 0 0 1open menu 0 0 0 0 0yes 1 0 1 0 0no 0 0 0 0 1go to home screen 0 0 0 0 0cancel 1 0 0 0 0enter or select 0 1 1 0 0adjust value up 0 0 0 1 1adjust value down 0 0 0 1 0toggle values 0 0 0 0 0scroll up 0 1 0 0 0scroll down 0 0 1 0 0done 0 0 0 0 0

yes/no conflict TRUE FALSE FALSE FALSE TRUE

New rule support

High Level FRA NPRM HF Issues

Proposed Tool Analyses S

itua

tion

Aw

aren

ess

Ove

r-re

lian

ce

Act

ive

Rol

e

Fee

dbac

k

Wor

kloa

d

Pre

dict

abil

ity/

Con

sist

ency

Mem

ory/

Pro

cess

ing

Ant

icip

ate

Err

ors

Errors arising from co-located controls or selection options

x

Inappropriate use of color x Compromised readability due to formatting problems

x x x

Inconsistent representation of same function on different panels or displays

x x x

Inconsistent operation of the same function or interface element

x x x

Errors arising from similar representation of different functions

x x x

Mode errors x x x x Inadequate feedback x x x x x Information gaps due to automation x x x x x x Errors and delays arising from: --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- - different locations for same functions

x x x x

- different terms or labels for same functions

x x x x

- different graphical representations for same functions

x x x x

- different control types for same functions

x x x x

- different functional logic for same functions

x x x x

- different automation levels for the same functions

x x x x x x x

New rule support

Low Level FRA NPRM HF Issues

Proposed Tool Analyses

Dis

play

/Con

trol

Loc

atio

n

Arr

ange

men

t and

Gro

upin

g

Sti

mul

us-R

espo

nse

Com

pati

bili

ty

Pro

tect

Saf

ety

Cri

tica

l Con

trol

s

Dis

play

Erg

onom

ics

Tex

t For

mat

ting

Info

rmat

ion

For

mat

ting

Col

or

War

ning

s

Dat

a E

ntry

Errors arising from co-located controls or selection options

x x x x

Inappropriate use of color x Compromised readability due to formatting problems

x x

Inconsistent representation of same function on different panels or displays

x x x

Inconsistent operation of the same function or interface element

x x

Errors arising from similar representation of different functions

x x x

Mode errors x x Inadequate feedback x x x x x Information gaps due to automation Errors and delays arising from: --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- - different locations for same functions

x x x

- different terms or labels for same functions

x x

- different graphical representations for same functions

x x

- different control types for same functions

x x

- different functional logic for same functions

x x

- different automation levels for the same functions

Schedule

• Alpha test in November of last year• Beta test in July• Final version in 4Q 2005