Analysis Techniques For Man-Machine Systems Design

NATO UNCLASSIFIED-143tPanei-8)Tw7n3lume L6 -,stem concept which can be upgraded or improved. As the systems engineers decompose the'stem requirements and synthesize the system specification, they repeatedly check the results ofeir analyses against their original concept, and modify the latter where necessary. A system (orproduct) exists in different forms at different stages of development (need. virtual, real andperational - Papin, 1992). The transition from one stage to another is a function of theevelopment process. That process involves different activities (analysis. specification, design,ianufacture, evaluation, and use) (Fig. 1.5). The goal of this report is to review the techniquessed for the analysis of human-machine systems. from mission requirements analysis through to.e generation of specifications.System stateNeed -Conceptuals y s t e .. m illl,~M~vHardware andsoftwareNATO Phased Armaments Programming Systems (PAPS) Project Phases.Design1 2 3 4 5 6 7.................... . .SpecicatiOication,& eveloomentManufacturconditiooperatioapproacimissionexpeinmcontroll(ardflcialHi03:Manned systeml123Q&56 7LepoaXFigure 1.5: The system development processexperi12. Engineers and human engineering specialists have had a growing interest in practicaccounting for human performance in system effectiveness. Both groups of specialists haveexpdeveloped tools for predicting human-machine performance. Engineers supply disciplines suchinvolvas cybernetics, control theory and work study, while human engineering specialists use specificthedesign methods, information theory, operational research and, in particular, test and evaluationthe rigmethods, to account for human factors and human variance. The key to the involvement of thehuman engineering in the systems development process is the description of human performanceschadeternin ways which are compatible with the other engineering activities.l3. Approaches to describing human performance include real world observations field oSnldstudies, man-in-the-loop-simulator studies. laboratory experiment. and pure computer-simulationstudies including simple representations of human behaviour. The first two approaches, whichare relevant to both new and old systems, have the common drawback that they fail to considerdesigiand control an unknown number of variable factors which affect behaviour. Obviously, theconceFitN A T OI