Ergonomics and human factors is the discipline concerned with the application of scientifc knowledge to improve people's interaction with products, systems and environments. This book presents the proceedings of the international conference, Ergonomics and Human Factors 2015, the 29th year in which a volume in the Contemporary Ergonomics series has appeared. In addition to being the leading event in the UK that features ergonomics and human factors across all sectors, this is also the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors (CIEHF). The scope and breadth of ergonomics and human factors continues to expand at a rapid pace. Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2015 reflects many of these developments and includes contributions covering the latest work in healthcare, transportation, defence, stress, manufacturing, design, and health and safety. There are also developments in data analytics, culture and complexity. This book also celebrates the long tradition of work in ergonomics and human factors which began with the formation of the Ergonomics Research Society in 1949 and culminated in 2015 with a Royal Charter. This has conferred recognition, at the highest level, of the uniqueness and value of our scientifc discipline and the preeminent role of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors in representing both the discipline and the profession. As well as being of interest to mainstream ergonomists and human factors specialists, Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2015 will appeal to those concerned with people's interaction with their working and leisure environment, including designers, manufacturing and production engineers, health and safety specialists, occupational, applied and industrial psychologists, and applied physiologists.

First published in 1999, this book provides answers to many of the problems associated with the design and application of auditory warnings. It represents the position of contemporary auditory warnings research and development in a single unique volume. Application domains include air traffic control, aviation, emergency services, manufacturing, medicine, military and nuclear power. The contributors constitute many key experts in this area, some of whom are psychoacousticians, some psychologists and some ergonomists. Correspondingly, the chapters range from those covering basic topics such as audibility and localization of warnings, through psychological issues concerned with the relationship between design, understanding and the behavioural response, to the more general ergonomic issues of implementing the warnings in a particular context. Although each of the chapters takes a slightly different perspective, they all balance theoretical underpinning with practical application. The editors have undertaken to draw all of the contributions together by providing an overview of warnings research at the beginning of the book and summary of the contributions at the end. This book will appeal to all involved in the research, development, design and implementation of auditory warnings.

Even to the casual observer of the automotive industry, it is clear that driving in the 21st century will be radically different from driving as we know it today. Significant advances in diverse technologies such as digital maps, communication links, processors, image processing, chipcards, traffic management, and vehicle positioning and tracking, are enabling extensive development of intelligent transport systems (ITS). Proponents of ITS view these technologies as freeing designers to re-define the role and function of transport in society and to address the urgent problems of congestion, pollution, and safety. Critics, on the other hand, worry that ITS may prove too complex, too demanding, and too distracting for users, leading to loss of skill, increased incidence of human error, and greater risk of accidents.
The role of human factors is widely acknowledged to be critical to the successful implementation of such technologies. However, too little research is directed toward advancing the science of human-ITS interaction, and too little is published which is useful to system designers. This book is an attempt to fill this critical gap. It focuses on the intelligent driver interface (IDI) because the ergonomics of IDI design will influence safety and usability perhaps more than the technologies which underlie it.
The chapters cover a broad range of topics, from cognitive considerations in the design of navigation and route guidance, to issues associated with collision warning systems, to monitoring driver fatigue. The chapters also differ in intent -- some provide design recommendations while others describe research findings or new approaches for IDI research and development. Based in part on papers presented at a symposium on the ergonomics of in-vehicle human systems held under the auspices of the 12th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, the book provides an international perspective on related topics through inclusion of important contributions from Europe, North America, and Japan.
Many of the chapters discuss issues associated with navigation and route guidance because such systems are the most salient and arguably the most complex examples of IDI. However, the findings and research methodologies are relevant to other systems as well, making this book of interest to a wide audience of researchers, design engineers, transportation authorities, and academicians involved with the development or implementation of ITS.

A collaboration between leading scientists, practitioners, and researchers at Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh, this book is a comprehensive resource describing Quality of Life technologies and their development, evaluation, adoption, and commercialization. It takes an interdisciplinary team approach to the process of technology development for disabled and older persons and discusses the state of the art and future directions of technologies. This work provides direction on how to identify user needs and preferences, engage end-users in the design and development process, and evaluate and commercialize the technologies.

With so many new lighting technologies available for a wide range of visual environments, how do you choose the options that best address the needs and improve the quality of life for various groups? Focusing on applications and everyday use of light sources, The Right Light: Matching Technologies to Needs and Applications provides a comprehensive explanation of all light sources to be used as a guide to choosing the right lighting technology. The book supplies a quick overview of the main characteristics of the existing technologies in the market and suggestions for appropriate technologies for a range of applications from health related issues to safety and security. The author characterizes different lamp technologies based on the large number of parameters required when choosing a light source. He makes suggestions based mainly on the qualities of the light such as color/wavelength of the light, color rendering index of the source, and, in the case of white light, the color temperature. Other parameters such as the luminous flux or the lifetime may play a role in some cases. From the improvement of the quality of life of people in their working and living spaces, to road safety or treatment of medical conditions and from managing cancer rates to improving the lives of vision impaired people, the correct choice of light sources and the appropriate lighting design can indeed make the difference between comfortable and problematic everyday life or indeed life and death. Whether you design work spaces, public spaces, or living spaces, this book examines the different technologies and their properties in a way that allows you to find the correct lighting solutions and light related answers for any space.

The broad and developing scope of ergonomics - the application of scientific knowledge to improve people's interaction with products, systems and environments - has been illustrated for 27 years by the books which make up the Contemporary Ergonomics series.This book presents the proceedings of the international conference on Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors 2013. In addition to being the leading event in the UK that features ergonomics and human factors across all sectors, this is also the annual conference of the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. Individual papers provide insight into current practice, present new research findings and form an invaluable reference source. The volumes provide a fast track for the publication of suitable papers from international contributors, with papers being subject to peer review since 2009. A wide range of topics are covered in these proceedings including human computer interaction, standards, accessibility, work and wellbeing, design, transport, safety culture, green ergonomics, healthcare, human cognition, biomechanics, crowd behaviour and the systems approach. As well as being of interest to mainstream ergonomists and human factors specialists, Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors will appeal to all those who are concerned with people's interactions with their working and leisure environment including designers, manufacturing and production engineers, health and safety specialists, occupational, applied and industrial psychologists, and applied physiologists.

The broad and developing scope of ergonomics - the application of scientific knowledge to improve people's interaction with products, systems and environments - has been illustrated for 25 years by the books which make up the Contemporary Ergonomics series. This book presents the proceedings of the international conference on Ergonomics and Human Factors 2012. In addition to being the leading event in the UK that features ergonomics and human factors across all sectors, this is also the annual conference of the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors.Individual papers provide insight into current practice, present new research findings and form an invaluable reference source. The volumes provide a fast track for the publication of suitable papers from international contributors, with papers being subject to peer review since 2009.A wide range of topics are covered in these proceedings, including transport, user centred design, safety culture, military, accidents, healthcare, manufacturing, human factors integration, education, the 24-hour society, sociotechnical systems and green ergonomics.As well as being of interest to mainstream ergonomists and human factors specialists, Contemporary Ergonomics and Human Factors will appeal to all those who are concerned with people's interactions with their working and leisure environment including designers, manufacturing and production engineers, health and safety specialists, occupational, applied and industrial psychologists, and applied physiologists.

Powerful information technologies and the complex support systems they engender are evolving faster than people's ability to adjust to them. In the workplace, this leads to troublesome task performance, added stress on users, increased organizational inefficiency, and, in some cases, a heightened risk of wide-scale disaster. In the marketplace, it makes for consumer dissatisfaction. Clearly, traditional human-computer interaction (HCI) and system design (SD) solutions to this dilemma have proven woefully inadequate. What is needed is a fresh multidisciplinary approach offering a broader, more dynamic framework for assessing needs and designing usable, efficient systems. Taking modeling concepts from engineering, psychology, cognitive science, information science, and computer science, cognitive systems engineering (CSE) provides such a framework. This book is the first comprehensive guide to the emerging new field of CSE. Providing equal parts theory and practice, it is based on the authors' many years of experience with work systems in a wide range of work domains, including process control, manufacturing, hospitals, and libraries. Throughout, the emphasis is on powerful analytical techniques that enhance the systems designer's ability to see the "big picture", and to design for all crucial aspects of human-work interaction. Applicable to highly structured technical systems such as process plants, as well as less structured user-driven systems like libraries, these analytical techniques form the basis for the evaluation and design guidelines that make up the bulk of this book. And since the proof is in the pudding, the authors provide a chapter-length case history in which theydemonstrate the success of their approach when applied to a full-scale software design project. The project, a retrieval system for public libraries, is described in detail, from field studies to concept validation experiments, and, of course, the empirical evaluation of the system while in use by the library users and personnel. Computer-based information systems are rapidly becoming a fundamental part of the human landscape. How that landscape evolves over the next decade or so, whether it becomes a hostile one or one that generously supports the needs of future generations, is in the hands of all those involved with the study and design of information systems.

This book provides a variety of answers in its description and discussion of new, sometimes radical approaches to usability evaluation', now an increasingly common business tool. It contains new thinking of the subject of usability evaluation in industry. Contributions come from those involved in the practice of industry-based usability evaluation as well as those involved in related research activity. The chapters are derived from and developed from presentations and discussions at the invited international seminar Usability Evaluation in Industry', and give a leading edge overview of current usability practice in industry - identifying those issues of concern and approaches to tackling these.
Key Features:
* Provides a comprehensive overview of current practice
* International examples
* Contains practical examples of ergonomics at work and gives clear ideas of what does and doesn't work under industrial constraints

The advent of augmented reality technologies used to assist human operators in complex manipulative operations-has brought an urgency to research into the modeling and training of human skills in Virtual Environments. However, modeling a specific act still represents a challenge in cognitive science. The same applies for the control of humanoid robots and the replication of skilled behavior of avatars in Virtual Environments. Skill Training in Multimodal Virtual Environments presents the scientific background, research outcomes, engineering developments, and evaluation studies conducted during the five years (2006-2011) of the project SKILLS-Multimodal Interfaces for Capturing and Transfer of Skill, funded by the European Commission under its 6th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development. The SKILLS project evaluated how to exploit robotics and virtual environment technologies for the training of specific skills. This book details the novel approach used in the study to cope with skill acquisition, setting aside the mainstream assumptions of common computer-assisted training simulators. It explores how the SKILLS approach generated new training scenarios that allow users to practice new experiences in the performance of the devised task. Using a carefully designed approach that balances science with practicality, the book explores how virtual and augmented reality systems can be designed to address the skill transfer and training in different application contexts. The application of the same roadmap to skills originating from domains such as sports, rehabilitation, industrial environment, and surgery sets this book apart. It demonstrates how technology-oriented training conditions can yield better results than more traditional training conditions.

What is this called 'ergonomics'? For over ten years this question has been answered by the books which comprise our series Contemporary Ergonomics. Contemporary Ergonomics are the proceedings of the Annual Conferences of the Ergonomics Society. Comprehensively covering the wide range of topics that ergonomics embraces, the papers provide insights into current practice as well as presenting new research findings and are a valuable source of references. This volume of Contemporary Ergonomics contains a short summary of the Donald Broadbent Memorial Address, a Keynote Address and over 90 papers given at the 1996 Annual Conference of the Ergonomics Society held at the University of Leicester in April 1996.

Contents:
Electromyography in ergonomics; physiological basis and concepts of electromyography; noise and artefacts; EMG interpretation; muscle energetics and electromyography; EMG alterations at sustained contractions with special emphasis on application in ergonomics; electromyography of upper extremity muscles and ergonomic applications; EMG of neck and shoulder muscles - the relationship between muscle activity and muscle pain in occupational settings; surface electromyography assessment of lower back pain; application of EMG in ergonomics - a clinical perspective.

This book provides to manufacturers, designers and evaluation professionals the necessary tools for balancing design and the assessment phases during the product lifecycle. It proposes an integrated model of interaction evaluation for a holistic analysis of the user experience by both discussing in details the interaction testing methods, and promoting the involvement of disabled users in human computer interaction evaluation.

Brain-Computer Interfaces Handbook: Technological and Theoretical Advances provides a tutorial and an overview of the rich and multi-faceted world of Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs). The authors supply readers with a contemporary presentation of fundamentals, theories, and diverse applications of BCI, creating a valuable resource for anyone involved with the improvement of people's lives by replacing, restoring, improving, supplementing or enhancing natural output from the central nervous system. It is a useful guide for readers interested in understanding how neural bases for cognitive and sensory functions, such as seeing, hearing, and remembering, relate to real-world technologies. More precisely, this handbook details clinical, therapeutic and human-computer interfaces applications of BCI and various aspects of human cognition and behavior such as perception, affect, and action. It overviews the different methods and techniques used in acquiring and pre-processing brain signals, extracting features, and classifying users' mental states and intentions. Various theories, models, and empirical findings regarding the ways in which the human brain interfaces with external systems and environments using BCI are also explored. The handbook concludes by engaging ethical considerations, open questions, and challenges that continue to face brain-computer interface research. Features an in-depth look at the different methods and techniques used in acquiring and pre-processing brain signals, extracting features, and classifying the user's intention Covers various theories, models, and empirical findings regarding ways in which the human brain can interface with the systems or external environments Presents applications of BCI technology to understand various aspects of human cognition and behavior such as perception, affect, action, and more Includes clinical trials and individual case studies of the experimental therapeutic applications of BCI Provides human factors and human-computer interface concerns in the design, development, and evaluation of BCIs Overall, this handbook provides a synopsis of key technological and theoretical advances that are directly applicable to brain-computer interfacing technologies and can be readily understood and applied by individuals with no formal training in BCI research and development.

Environmental destruction is seen a matter of worldwide concern but as a Third World problem.
Ecology and Equity explores the most ecologically complex country in the world. India's peoples range from technocrats to hunter-gathers and its environments from dense forest to wasteland. The bookanalyses the use and abuse of nature on the sub-continent to reveal the interconnections of social and environmental conflict on the global scale. The authors argue that the root of this conflict is competition within different social groups and between different economic interests for natural resources.
Radical both in its critique of the causes of crisis in India and in its proposals for ecological reform, Ecology and Equity is essential reading for all concerned for the Third World's in the world.

Ergonomics Analysis and Problem Solving is a powerful software tool that helps you streamline the process of producing a comprehensive ergonomics analysis. The program was designed around the three major steps involved in the ergonomics analysis process, which include arriving at a concise job description in a task format, identifying specific ergonomic hazards, and examining possible interventions in a logical and orderly manner.

Guidebook to Successful Safety Programming is the first "how to" guide to present the elements and activities necessary for successful safety, health, and environmental programs in any company or organization. The book provides case histories that demonstrate how successful programs were developed and conducted for a variety of companies and describes how all levels of management and employees become involved in preventive programs. It covers management policies, safety rules, hazard analysis techniques, training methods, and accident investigations.Guidebook to Successful Safety Programming also explains how OSHA, EPA, and legal concerns are changing the role and involvement of management in safety, health, and environmental programs. The responsibilities of management in today's business culture are explored, which makes the book essential for managers, supervisors, and employees. Safety professionals studying for certification exams can use the book as a study guide to help them prepare for their tests.

The field of sports ergonomics is now recognised as an interdisciplinary area in its own right. This book forms the proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Sport, Leisure and Ergonomics, providing a particular focus on disabled athletes, health and fitness educations and sports equipment.

A practical new book for scientists, engineers, project leaders, and others working in the technical fields. The book adds depth, "how-to", and success to your creative thinking and problem solving. This book will allow you to sharpen your creative edge, giving you better problem solving skills. Whether you are a scientist working on breakthrough research, an engineer on the forefront of product development, or a project manager forging teams to reach and exceed goals, this new book gives you the fundamentals and advanced techniques of creative thinking to break new ground and reach higher levels of excellence.

Enhancing awareness of the interdependence of systems engineering and safety, Systems Engineering and Safety: Building the Bridge covers systems engineering methodology, safety tools, and the management needed to build the bridge between these two disciplines. It underscores the relationship between the disciplines and how understanding the relationship can benefit your organization and industry. The book lays out the purpose of the methodology of systems engineering and the tools of safety. It identifies the importance of management and the culture, commitment, communication, and coordination that management must provide. The author describes the systems engineering methodology: the lifecycle, processes, and management and the technical processes that systems engineers and safety professionals must be familiar with. He merges management, systems engineering, and safety into the lifecycle through project processes. Using real-world examples, he also examines the roles and responsibilities of management, and a breakdown theory of safety in the management processes: The Glismann Effect. The strength of this book is that it can be read, understood, and hopefully acted upon by the chief executive officer of a corporation, right down to the line manager of systems engineering or the subject matter expert in the safety department. This value can be measured in cost savings, be it in the form of human, social, or financial capital.

Hazardous energy present in systems, machines, and equipment has injured, maimed, and killed many workers. One serious injury can stop the growth of your business in its tracks. Management of Hazardous Energy: Deactivation, De-Energization, Isolation, and Lockout provides the practical tools needed to assess hazardous energy in equipment, machines, and systems, and covers how to manage hazardous energy through elimination or control in order to ensure worker safety and regulatory compliance. Written in plain English with a minimum of jargon, this book provides safety professionals with the knowledge they need to interact with specialists, designers, and engineers to ensure that appropriate and necessary protocols and safety practices and tools are put into place for assessing the dangers and steps taken to eliminate or control exposure to hazardous energy when needed. Approaching the subject from the bottom up, the author starts at the workplace level, to ensure that the right actions happen for the right reasons. The book explains a protocol for describing the flow of energy, including transformation and/or storage; for capturing the logic of decisions about control, including failure analysis and contingency planning; and ultimately for creating procedures that are technically sound and defensible. Creating simple procedures for ensuring worker safety and regulatory compliance, the book offers US and international strategies for hazardous energy management and contains examples to illustrate the application of concepts to specific areas.

Taking an application-oriented approach, these exercises encourage students to apply rigorous analyses to collected data, and provide results through formal professional reports. The book contains nearly three dozen exercises covering workplace environment, work analysis, information processing, physiological issues, and systems evaluations. Some are pencil and paper exercises, some are stopwatch studies, some require special laboratory equipment, and others are field exercises. The book gives technical background on each topic and provides equipment needs, experimental design, and data sheets, as well as guidance on analysis and detailed instructions on report writing.

In a competitive and increasingly internationalised business world, many companies rely on the high risk/reward ratio of operating in unstable areas. Those companies willing to engage in emerging or developing countries can often be exposed to a politically volatile environment over which they have little control. Political risk, therefore, is one of the most hazardous challenges that an international business can face. In A Short Guide to Political Risk you will find a business-centric introduction to political risk that will familiarise international managers with the concept and accelerate the learning curve towards proficient and coherent political risk management. Robert McKellar explores: the key political risks that companies have faced in the recent past, and current trends in the evolution of the political risk landscape; the concept of political risk and its constituent elements; models and approaches for assessing political risk; the principal options for managing political risk, and suggestions for organisational structures to ensure a coherent and consistent approach; as well as wider issues that a company needs to consider in developing its own attitude and philosophy on political risk. A Short Guide to Political Risk is an essential introductory guide for risk managers and for all senior managers concerned with their organisation's global performance and reputation.

This book covers the problem of fidelity in the design of virtual environments with specific reference to the design of vehicle simulators. The default design goal has been on the physical replication of a given real-world environment and, in the case of vehicles, the specific appearance and function of vehicle components. This book discusses that perceptual, rather than physical, fidelity of a virtual environment, should be the design goal and the principal purpose is to produce human behavior. This book provides the rationale and design guidance to maximize perceptual fidelity in the development of virtual environments, and therefore maximize the costeffectiveness as well.

This is a primary text project that combines sustainability development with engineering entrepreneurship and design to present a transdisciplinary approach to modern engineering education. The book is distinguished by extensive descriptions of concepts in sustainability, its principles, and its relevance to environment, economy, and society. It can be read by all engineers regardless of their disciplines as well as by engineering students as they would be future designers of products and systems. This book presents a flexible organization of knowledge in various fields, which allows to be used as a text in a number of courses including for example, engineering entrepreneurship and design, engineering innovation and leadership, and sustainability in engineering design