What is the optimal location of an instrument and how does a new instrument affect the operator’s task performance and workload? With a tool-supported cognitive modeling of virtual operators workload and performance of trained operators can be predicted. Such a simulation can consider hundreds of procedures of how a machine can be controlled.
Development and evaluation of dynamic and complex systems require techniques and tools to evaluate the risks of Human and Systems Error, especially for safety critical systems. Established techniques like the cognitive workload analysis that can be used to assess the individual perceived operator workload for sets of tasks these are not widely used in industrial development. That is, because cognitive analysis of dynamic systems depends on complex architectures and simulations to evaluate workload over time, and is still driven by proprietary notations for cognitive models that require in-depth cognitive modeling skills and is currently only accessible to experts.
The Human Efficiency Evaluator (HEE) can ease the analysis of the impact of new instruments and new display designs with respect to human operator workload and task execution times. The tool is designed to make these cognitive analysis techniques available to non-experts, such as system analysts and engineers.
The video demonstrates the cognitive modeling and analysis process supported by the HEE referring to an aeronautics scenario. The cognitive analysis compares the task performance and workload of three generations of cockpit instrument designs
to support pilots’ with the slats/flaps settings during an aircraft approach with the current support in modern aircrafts and was performed by using the HEE.