Human Factors Research Group
Human Factors
• We design technology that is made for humans
• The human dimension– The body– The mind– Teams– Communities
Human Factors
• We are the nomads of engineering connecting many different worlds.– Biology– Psychology– Sociology– Cognitive Science– Engineering– Philosophy
Human Factors
• Domains include:– Healthcare
Human Factors
• Domains include:– Healthcare– Military
Human Factors
• Domains include:– Healthcare– Military– Aviation
Human Factors
• Domains include:– Healthcare– Military– Aviation– Air traffic control
Human Factors
• Domains include:– Healthcare– Military– Aviation– Air traffic control– Personal use
Human Factors
• Our research– Watch and cell phone
displays
Human Factors
• Our research– Watch and cell phone
displays– Interactive tabletop
computer displays
Human Factors
• Our research– Watch and cell phone
displays– Interactive tabletop
computer displays– Complex human task
environments like aviation and air traffic control
Risk Management in HealthcareRisk identification in interpersonal interactions and
communications in healthcare
• New focus of research– Communication– Information flow– Human Interactions
• Main focus of research– Biohazards– Equipments– Procedures
Multimodal Interfaces for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
• Can we use sounds and vibrations to communicate information to help control UAVs?
• What types of information are best displayed using sound or vibrations instead of vision?
Psychophysiological Technologies for the Evaluation of UAVs Interfaces
• How can we measure pychophysiological changes in the subjects?
• How can we integrate it with the evaluation and development of multimodal interfaces?
Social NetworkingOur work is inspired by projects like GOOD MORNING! to visualize social networking
This 3D model shows the volume of “Good Morning” as its tweeted over the world in 24hrs
Teamwork, Collaboration, Social Media
How do we make learning easier?
inPulse Watch for Blackberry
•One-button interface design•Designed and tested in the lab•Being launched soon
Emotion and Touch:Bertina Lee (2010-)
Can designers impact howmuch you like a product by:
• Changing how much you can touch it?
• Changing how real it looks?
How do touch factors, like roughness and hardness, impact your emotional response to a product?
VTrail System:Daniel Iaboni (2009)
• Allow users to add virtual information into the environment (virtual sticky notes)
• Potential applications in the military, search & rescue, tourism, etc.
What needs to go into a wayfinding tool to support trailblazing in virtual environments?
Virtual Environments and Emotion:Julie Zhu (2008)
• What are the patterns behind these reactions?
• Simulated virtual environments help us understand emotions
When planning a building, city, or product: we should consider the emotional impact the final result will have on people.
Collaborative Systems Lab
Simplify coordination and decision making by:• Displaying a naval picture• Providing access to
information sources• Creating an easy way to
make changes
Tabletop Interfaces for Naval Operations
Naval surveillance software on a multi-touch surface using Anoto technology
Designed for Defence R&D Canada Atlantic and in partnership with Gallium Visual Systems
Learning more about:• Information visualization• Larger display settings• Sharing different information
sources and devices• Facilitating collaboration
Software Architecture and Interfaces for Tabletop Computers
Exploring interaction techniques in large multi-touch computing devices.
Learning more about:• Offloading computations • What makes a board game
fun?• Interface designs to keep the
feel of boardgames
Converting Boardgames to Digital Tabletops
Translating traditional boardgames into digital tabletop applications
Discovering methods for:• Integrating new technologies• Understanding system
requirements, data interaction, user interaction
• Evaluating and studying systems systematically
• Identifying areas for improvement
Design Requirements and Methodologies for Multi-Display Environments
Large screen technologies provide spaces that people can gather around to share information.
[1] M. Haller, J. Leitner, T. Seifried, J.R. Wallace, S.D. Scott, C. Richter, P. Brandl, A. Gokcezade, and S. Hunter (2010). The NiCE Discussion Room: Integrating Paper and Digital Media to Support Co- Located Group Meetings. ACM Conference for Human Factors in Computing Systems 2010.
Learning more about:• What size of table is
best for differerent situations?
• User requirements for tabletop systems
• Division of tabletop area between users
• Tabletop interface design
Investigating Tabletop Design for Collaboration
Answering questions about designing tabletops for different tasks and users.
Humans in Complex Systems Lab
Term Example Meaning
Clearance “Cleared Direct Rhivr”
Permission to proceed to designated fix/navigation aid(You can go to Rhivr)
Squawk “Squawk 7421”
Refers to a transponder code that helps identify the aircraft(Change your code to 7421
Callsign “UAL 669”Unique Identifier(United Airlines Flight 669)
Ride “How’s your ride”
Weather conditions(What’s the weather like?)
Chop“There’s a bit of moderate chop here”
Turbulence
Analyzing Air Traffic Control
Communications
Classifying Airspace Sectors
through Cognitive Similarities
In collaboration with:
“Having made their decision to land, the crew members used all their energy to concentrate on this task and missed cues that should have warranted a review of that decision...” TSB Final Report Air France Flight 358 – Toronto 2005
IMPROVING AVIATION SAFETY
•Increasing pilot awareness•Decision support automation•Improving display information•Mode Awareness