cognitive ergonomics on the ship bridge OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1 cognitive ergonomics on the ship bridge OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 2 cognitive ergonomics OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross first we can look to definitions of the words themselves 3 cognition /k !"# n $% ( ! )n/ noun 1. the mental action or process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience, and the senses. 2. a perception, sensation, idea, or intuition resulting from the process of cognition. ergonomics / & ! '" ! # n ! m $ ks/ noun 1. an applied science concerned with designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely — called also biotechnology, human engineering, human factors 2. the design characteristics of an object resulting especially from the application of the science of ergonomics OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

and we can look to professional associations 4 cognitive ergonomics “… is concerned with mental processes, such as perception, memory, reasoning, and motor response, as they affect interactions among humans and other elements of a system.” - international ergonomics association so it is fundamentally about how humans perceive, process and interact with 5 context systems of all kinds (situated cognition) perceive process interact OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross it is built on an understanding of how functional aspects of our brains actually 6 work sensation & perception attention language understanding & creation short-term (working) memory long-term memory response time problem solving decision making reasoning learning expertise OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

it is built on an understanding of how functional aspects of our brains actually 7 work sense perception cognition OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 8 We start with raw sensory input - the unprocessed signals our eyes, ears and other senses pick up. sense DeviantArt user: Shawn10000 OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 9 Our brain starts to resolve those signals into usable information. perception Wikimedia user: N1RK4UDSK714 cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 10 Once we filter and begin interpreting that data, we get meaningful information, based on our previous experiences. perception OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 11 Once we filter and begin interpreting that data, we get meaningful information, based on our previous experiences. shipwreck perception Cognition refers to the thought processes that turn that usable information into memory 12 situational awareness knowledge decision making knowledge, which we use to make memories, decisions, and to develop a mental attention behaviour model of the situation we are in. cognition OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

Each of these processes are interrelated, and have limitations 13 each of these processes have limitations OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross If the brain’s limitations are not easily visible, like the body’s, how do we 14 understand them and design for them? If the brain’s limitations are not easily visible, like the body’s, how do we understand them and design for them? OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 15 the fundamentals: understand your users, do your research & test OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

16 user research, task analysis, best practices, standards, interviews, observations, etc. ergonomics guidelines, etc. OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross It also involves testing your ideas, hypothesis and designs 17 testing, testing, testing OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross One other way to learn lessons for design is to look for the adaptations and 18 modifications people are already using. look for adaptations OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

and this brings us to our site visit to the Icebreaker Oden, which was docked in 19 Helsingborg, Sweden, and my classmate’s visit to Atle, which was docked in Luleå. the ship bridge OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross Here we can see the bridge of Oden, a large Swedish icebreaker that patrols the 20 site visits to: Oden Bay of Bothnia, and conducts regular expeditions to the arctic. Atle OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross While touring the bridge I found a lot of examples of modifications or adaptations 21 of equipment to either make a task easier, or to reduce the amount of active thinking needed to complete a task. I’m calling these things cognitive short cuts “cognitive short cuts” here, but there may be another word for them elsewhere. Adaptations the crew has made to reduce cognitive load or increase situational awareness (or just to make life easier). OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

22 1. put a sticker on it OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross Here we can see the aft-facing winch control station on the bridge of Oden. It 23 controls the main winch the ship uses to tow other boats through channels in the ice, as well as secondary controls for the main thrusters and rudders, and rear spot lights. OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross Unfortunately, the helipad entirely blocks the view of the aft deck, so the operator 24 can’t actually see what the winch is doing. OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

So they use this rear-facing camera feed. The distance markings were added after 25 the fact. A crew member walked out onto the ice behind the ship with a long tape measure and a stick, signalling every 10 meters so the bridge crew could apply the distance markers. OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross This modification cuts across a long and often inaccurate process, delivering a 26 distance estimate that the crew trusts directly to the place where they need it. crew at the short-cut controls distance estimate RADAR/GPS (inaccurate, far away) educated guess (maybe leaning over to see out the window) observation from the deck (via radio) OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 27 lessons for future designs make critical information easy to find, when and where you need it the whole > the sum of the parts (combine information) analog is sometimes cheaper, faster and more reliable being part of the process builds in trust OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

28 2. always leave a note OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross Here we can see di ! erent kinds of notes left by crew members on the bridge of 29 Oden. Most shown here are semi-permanent, but the crew regularly leaves temporary notes on controls to indicate di ! erent states or critical processes. OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 30 lessons for future designs design interactions that cannot be used incorrectly - ask: why does this need clarification? can interactions communicate their function? make your thought process visible don’t assume understanding lack of information vs. information overload OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

31 3. put a sticker on it part 2 OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross This is an aft-bridge station on Oden, used to control ROVs and sonar equipment 32 on scientific missions. Here we see another note along with colour labels on every screen and input device. OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross 33 lessons for future designs colour can coordinate (…consider colour blindness…) generic vs. specific functions what appears interchangeable? design for clarity - square holes for square pegs consistency OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017

34 4. label it OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross The crew of Oden labelled almost everything in sight. The bridge uses so many 35 interchangeable elements that extra information has to be added to keep everything clear. One interesting thing is shown in the top right image - we see a rudder control with port and starboard labelled with colours consistent to other inputs. The crew use this controller while seated at the conning station - in which case port and starboard are easy remember - but they also use it standing up on the other side of the console, leaning over to see out the window. OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross upside down - using the rudder control from the other side… 36 lessons for future designs can you communicate function through form? don’t assume critical or fundamental information is always understood lack of information vs. information overload will the interaction always be used the same way? OICL/AHO - 2017 - C. Pearsell-Ross cognitive ergonomics + adaptations - C. Pearsell-Ross - 1 December 2017