Analysis Techniques For Man-Machine Systems Design

NATO UNCLASSIFIED- 117 - AC/243(Panel-8)TR/7Volume 26 INTERFACE AND WORKSPACE DESIGNmissionscenarioanalysisLfunctiona nalysis interface &functionallocation oDworkspacedesign6.1 i Design option decision trees6.2 n Critical design requirements6.3 * Link analysisWhehat techniques the doThe aim of human engineerng is to apply knowledge human ot capabilities and limitatons to the design ofequipment and systems which people use, lto ensure effecsviness. safesy, and comfoat. Thus, the final goal of thehuman engineering analyses reviewed in the previous sections is to identify design requirements, and to facilitatet heapplication of human factors knowledge to the design of systems and enuipmentrnFew publications have providedinformation on the process of translating the specification for operator tasks defined through mission, function, andtask analysis into a specification for the design of human-machine interfaces, workspaces, workplace, and/or theenvirontment, (Engel & Townsend, 1989, provide some guidance). Three techniques have been reported, and arereviewed here. (Note that there are many techniques and tools available for evaluasing.he operator workspace, basedon an&hropornetri models: some of those models have been reviewed by NATO AC/243 Panel-8/RSG.9 (McMillanet al., 1989: 1991)).'Me lackc of design techniques need not impede the application of human engineering in the design process, becausethe role of the human engineering specialist is not necessarily to design. Because the design process is creative, it isill-defined and varies from project to project or design team Lo design team. As Bishop & Guinness ( 1966) suggest, afruitful symbiosis can be established between human factors (or human engineering) specialists and designers. Usingmany of the techniques reviewed in this documnent, human engineering specialists can provide a systematic definitionof a problem as well as ways to quantitatively evaluate competing design solutions, while the designer producescreative solutions to particular problems.NATO UNCLASSIFIED