Evaluating Novel User Interfaces in (Safety Critical) Railway Environments

Abstract

In this paper we present a research facility for railway operations, the Eisenbahnbetriebsfeld Darmstadt (EBD) as simulation environment. Here, new operational and dispatching software for a safety critical environment can be thoroughly evaluated. In three expert and two user evaluations it could be shown that the EBD is a well-suited environment for testing as an extension to traditional methods. On the one hand, implementing software in the EBD can be done in a timely manner and at relatively low costs. Also, it is possible to trigger certain disruptions and malfunctions at will which would be impractical in real operations. On the other hand, studies have shown that users are really keen on testing in the EBD and that their mood is constantly good all along.

A multi-camera image processing and visualization system for train safety assessment

“…Evaluation and testing safety-critical interfaces is crucial to show whether a novel developed system actually fulfills its goals. Authors of [22] propose a method for the evaluation of user interface for safety in railway based on a high-fidelity simulator of an interlocking systems. Although many standardized usability evaluation methods exist and are commonly used for general purpose systems, some specific methods have been defined for the evaluation of safety critical interactive systems [23].…”