Human Factors in the Canadian Forces

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Human Factors in theCanadian Forces

• Lieutenant Jameel Adam
• Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental
  Medicine
• Operational Human Engineering Group

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Cant help that soldier...new policyfewer men
and more equipment.
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Human Factors in the Military
Environment
User
Task
Tools
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Why User Centered and User Involvement?

• Deficiency Identification
• Determination of User Needs
• Development of User-based Test Criteria
• Concept Validation
• Prototype Design Testing
• Final Product Acceptance and Validation

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Procurement Cycle
Production Implementation
Statement of Requirements
Select Option(s)
Specification Development
Test and Evaluation
Design
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Monitor system performance acceptability
Production Implementation
Fitting Trials Sizing Tariffs
User Surveys
User Acceptance Trials
SOR Input
Statement of Requirements
Select Option(s)
Baseline System Performance
Bid Evals
Specification Development
Test and Evaluation
Controlled Usability Trials
Development of realistic, measurable performance-b
ased specifications
Human Lab and Field trials
Design
Equipment Bench Tests
HF Advice to Design Teams
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Monitor system performance acceptability
Production Implementation
Fitting Trials Sizing Tariffs
User Surveys
User Acceptance Trials
SOR Input
Statement of Requirements
Select Option(s)
Baseline System Performance
Bid Evals
Specification Development
Test and Evaluation
Controlled Usability Trials
Development of realistic, measurable performance-b
ased specifications
Human Lab and Field trials
Design
Equipment Bench Tests
HF Advice to Design Teams
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1997 Anthropometric Survey of the Canadian Land
Forces (Army)

• 465 males, 243 females
• 200 traditional measures
• 2D body and 3D head scans
• Cost of survey recovered with savings in
  procurement of one item (Improved Environmental
  Clothing System)

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Anthropometry

• Shift away from percentiles to a multivariate
  approach in equipment specifications, sizing
  analyses
• Soldier population accommodation versus
  percentiles
• More stringent accommodation requirements
• Application of 2D and 3D body measurement
  analysis tools

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Sample Bivariate Plot
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Monitor system performance acceptability
Production Implementation
Fitting Trials Sizing Tariffs
User Surveys
User Acceptance Trials
SOR Input
Statement of Requirements
Select Option(s)
Baseline System Performance
Bid Evals
Specification Development
Test and Evaluation
Controlled Usability Trials
Development of realistic, measurable performance-b
ased specifications
Human Lab and Field trials
Design
Equipment Bench Tests
HF Advice to Design Teams
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Support to Soldiers Helmet ProjectDevelopment
of Performance-Based Specifications

• Protection
• Fit
• Ease of Use
• Comfort
• Compatibility

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Approach To Helmet Performance Specification

• Review literature to identify critical Human
  Factors and test methods
• Draft performance specifications (including test
  methods and cut-off criteria)
• Test a range of available commercial off the
  shelf (COTS) helmets (including bench, lab, and
  soldier field testing)
• Validate cut-off criteria (as being both
  achievable and meeting soldier acceptability
  requirements)
• Circulate for industry review and input

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Performance-Based Specifications Quantitative
(Bench/Lab Testing)

• Protection (ballistic impact)
• Coverage
• Field of view
• Fit stand-off
• Suspension system
• Characteristics
• Thermal resistance
• Weight

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Performance-Based Specifications Psycho-Physical
(Human-Based Testing)

• Helmet fit
• Physical comfort
• Thermal comfort
• Helmet stability
• Ease of use
• Aural/visual sensory
• Capabilities
• Compatibility with soldier equipment/tasks

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Monitor system performance acceptability
Production Implementation
Fitting Trials Sizing Tariffs
User Surveys
User Acceptance Trials
SOR Input
Statement of Requirements
Select Option(s)
Baseline System Performance
Bid Evals
Specification Development
Test and Evaluation
Controlled Usability Trials
Development of realistic, measurable performance-b
ased specifications
Human Lab and Field trials
Design
Equipment Bench Tests
HF Advice to Design Teams
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Design GuidanceInitial Stages

• Literature reviews
• Gather existing systems
• Concept design(s)
• Focus groups
• Technical assessments
• Output opposing prototypes

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Design GuidanceMiddle Stages

• Limited user evaluations
• Downselecting features
• Controlled user evaluations
• Technical assessments
• Output Refined prototype

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Design GuidanceFinal Stages

• Extended use and fit trials
• Sizing/tariffing
• Training
• Materials
• Technical assessments
• Output Final design and specs

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HF Field Trial Approach

• Representative users
• Representative tasks
• Representative conditions environment
• Highly controlled
• Control for error (bias, learning/order effects,
  etc.)
• Performance measures (i.e., timings, work
  completed)
• Subjective measures (i.e., questionnaires, focus
  group discussions)

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Monitor system performance acceptability
Production Implementation
Fitting Trials Sizing Tariffs
User Surveys
User Acceptance Trials
SOR Input
Statement of Requirements
Select Option(s)
Baseline System Performance
Bid Evals
Specification Development
Test and Evaluation
Controlled Usability Trials
Development of realistic, measurable performance-b
ased specifications
Human Lab and Field trials
Design
Equipment Bench Tests
HF Advice to Design Teams
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Clothing Sizing Fit TariffsThe problem if not
done, or done incorrectly

• Insufficient sizing to accommodate population
• Cost of procuring/stocking sizes that are
• Not required
• Under-utilized

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Clothing Sizing Fit TarriffsHow to avoid the
problem?

• Identify most relevant anthropometric database
  and critical variables
• Finalize design of clothing item (including
  material selection)
• Produce limited number of sizes
• Conduct preliminary fitting trial to confirm who
  fits a given size and confirm critical
  anthropometric variables
• Determine number of sizes required
• Conduct a confirmatory fit trial with prototypes
  of each size
• Determine numbers of each size to procure by
  referencing most relevant anthropometric database

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Rucksack Sizing Based on Stature and Waist
Circumference
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Monitor system performance acceptability
Production Implementation
Fitting Trials Sizing Tariffs
User Surveys
User Acceptance Trials
SOR Input
Statement of Requirements
Select Option(s)
Baseline System Performance
Bid Evals
Specification Development
Test and Evaluation
Controlled Usability Trials
Development of realistic, measurable performance-b
ased specifications
Human Lab and Field trials
Design
Equipment Bench Tests
HF Advice to Design Teams
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User Feedback

• Life Cycle Material Manager
• Unsatisfactory Condition Report (UCR)
• Army Combat Clothing and Equipment Survey System
  (ACCESS)

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How To Pass On Knowledge About Users Their
Requirements?

• Invite industry to field exercises
• Involve subject matter experts (SMEs) in process
• Tools
• A Soldiers Day Multimedia Database

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Benefits of User-Centered Design and User-Based
Testing

• Increased User Acceptance
• Product Credibility
• Users
• Designers
• Decision Makers
• Product Effectiveness
• Economy
• sizing, mission/task flexibility, feature
  utility, etc.
• cost effective, directed developments, etc.
• Reduces Risk
• Systematizes Lessons Learned

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Human-System Integration
Can this soldier, with this training, perform
this task, to this standard, with this
equipment, and under these conditions?
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