Work domain analysis (WDA) has been applied extensively within cognitive engineering as an analytic framework for the evaluation of complex sociotechnical systems in support of design. However, the WDAs described in the literature have not explored the representation of automated system components, despite the documented problems associated with operatorautomation interaction and the requirements for operator support in complex automated systems. The current research examines the application of WDA to model an example automated system -a camera -by representing the camera along with its automated components as separate systems using the abstraction hierarchy (AH). Additionally, we contrasted this modelling approach with the more typical approach of modelling automation within a cognitive work analysis (CWA) by performing a control task analysis using the decision ladder. The results of these analyses suggest that, similar to non-automated systems, considering a separate representation of an automated system within the WDA may provide useful system design guidance in terms of user support and information requirements. The comparison of the AH and the decision ladder (DL) models indicates that the models provide different information about the requirements and support different user needs: the AH provides information about specific subsystems and components of the automation that are used for control and how they support functions and purposes of the automation while the DL shows how the control tasks are achieved interleaving automated actions with those of the user. The information obtained from modelling automation with the AH is different from what would normally be obtained by performing only a control task analysis, yet is necessary for operator support.
The purpose of this study is to characterize differences in EEG collected under stationary conditions and that collected in mobile settings. EEG activity has not been evaluated in operational settings due to difficulties associated with processing of EEG in real-world settings such as real-time removal of artifacts, operational environments, and possible differences in EEG frequency associated with mobility. Utilization of EEG measures of cognitive activity in dynamic environments demands the use of real-time algorithms of signal decontamination and characterization of specific components of EEG activity. In this study, EEG was collected and filtered in real-time in a set of controlled stationary scenarios and similar mobile scenarios in order to characterize differences in EEG power, electrode locations, and individual differences under mobility while participants performed tasks of variable difficulty. Results illustrate that the lack of systematic differences in EEG spectral power associated with mobility may point to feasibility of successful collection and analysis of EEG activity in such settings.
Ecological Interface Design (EID) is a framework for designing computer displays that has been applied predominantly to desktop displays. Extensibility of the framework to small format displays (defined by small physical dimensions of height and width) remains to be demonstrated through design and evaluation. This paper illustrates a specific design approach to the design of small format ecological displays as well as the process of the design, for a tractable but complex system: a manual photo camera. Small format displays present challenges for showing information in parallel. To meet this challenge, two methods based on elements of the EID framework were developed and used to integrate information so that it could be condensed to fit on small displays: one based on system functional relationships and one based on task requirements. The abstraction hierarchy model (AH) was used to guide integration of the system functional information. Requirements drawn from the decision ladder model (DL) were used to guide integration based on task requirements. The detailed description of the design approach and process provided here should help designers create small format ecological displays.
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