Crew Station Design Tool Overview

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Crew Station Design ToolOverview
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Identification of Problem

• Crew station design - multiple factors to
  consider
• Size and physical layout of the crew station
• Physical attributes of the operators
• Operator tasks
• Controls and displays
• Stereotypes (location conventions for controls)
• System engineers typically do not have
  backgrounds in Human Factors or Ergonomics

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About The CSDT

• Allows designers to visualize and optimize their
  choices of controls and displays, and the
  position of those elements in a workstation
• Automatically determines an optimal arrangement
  of controls and displays based on sound human
  engineering and
  ergonomics principles

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Process
Function and Task Analysis
Task List
Design Guidance
Control and Display Library
Categorizer
Selected Controls and Displays
Human Performance Model (Micro Saint Sharp)
Operator Tasks
Common Language Translator
Operator and Control Utilization
Layout Analyzer (Open Inventor)
Script
Control Positions
Fit and Comfort Visibility Reach, Grasp, etc.
Anthropometric Model (Jack)
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How Does It Work?
Using the results of a task analysis, the CSDT
communicates with 3 different software tools

• Micro Saint Sharp MAD
• Task network modeling
• Control and display usage, operator utilization
  and workload
• Open Inventor Mercury Computer Systems
• 3D graphics
• Cost-effective way to display crew station
• Jack UGS Corp.
• Human figure modeling
• Anthropometric data

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Process List

• Provides users with a clear understanding of the
  order in which the different components must be
  initially performed
• Provides access to each component and its
  corresponding output
• Highlighted sections let users know which
  components have been completed
• Signals users if a software tool has not been
  properly installed or located

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Function Task Analysis

• Users enter the functions and tasks performed by
  the operators

• Suggested functions based on crew station type
• Suggested tasks based on functions

• Users can also define their own functions and
  tasks

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Categorizer

• Users navigate through the list of tasks and
  assign a control or display to each

• Users have access to the Control and Display
  Library for help selecting the optimal control or
  display for a task

• List of available controls and displays are
  filtered by modality

• Users can also add their own controls

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Control Display Library

• The library can be used to select the optimal
  control or display for a task
• The list of suggested controls and displays is
  modified as users select parameters to fit their
  needs
• Users can also view research on a control or
  detailed information on specific makes and models

Click image to play video.
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Task Network Model

• The purpose of the Task Network Model component
  is to identify (operator) resource conflicts and
  areas of overload
• Users specify which operators are working on
  tasks, task times, and standard deviations
• Users open the model and all of the necessary
  code is automatically inserted by the tool
• Users sequence tasks and then execute the model

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Layout Analyzer

• Users enter the dimensions of the crew station
  and enter information about the location and
  posture of the operators
• Users have the option to select location
  conventions (standards) for controls in order to
  support their placement in the crew station

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Layout Analyzer
Click image to play video.

• In Open Inventor, controls and displays are
  automatically placed in the optimal location for
  each operator based on conventions, sequence of
  use, and frequency of use

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Human Figure Model - Jack
Click image to play video.

• Crew station developed in Open Inventor is
  exported to Jack
• The behavior of the operators in Jack are
  controlled by the task network (Micro Saint
  Sharp) model

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CSDT Output

• List of all functions, tasks, and controls and
  displays in a tree-view formation (Function
  Task Control)
• Operator utilization
• Operator resource conflicts
• Frequency-of-use for each control
• Sequence-of-use for each control
• Optimal X, Y and Z coordinates for each control
  and display

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Test Crew Station

• Commercial mid-size airliner
• Data obtained from a subject matter expert
• Functions and tasks (including sequences)
• Pilot and co-pilot assignment to tasks
• Control and display assignments to tasks
• Normal conditions and no weather problems
• Three different flight deck layouts were designed
  based on the following placement schemes
• Frequency of use
• Sequence of use
• Frequency and sequence of use

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Results

• Each layout was compared to a Boeing 767 flight
  deck
• The frequency-of-use layout designed by the CSDT
  was subjectively closest to a Boeing 767
• The CSDT layout also suggested some control and
  display locations that might be better (some
  newer planes already use these new locations)
• PFD (Primary Flight Display) and ND (Navigation
  Display) might be better next to each other
• ND range set selector switches upfront on the MCP
  (Mode Control Panel)

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Conclusions

• Challenges when integrating multiple software
  tools
• Importing and exporting objects with different
  formats
• Controlling the behavior of each software tool
  automatically
• Usability problems
• All of these challenges can be dealt with!
• Benefits
• Extensive functionality
• Reduced development time and cost
• Users do not have to be expert programmers