A lack of alarm management for industrial control rooms has led to frequent alarm floods that have the potential to overwhelm operators within minutes. One approach to managing alarm floods would be altering the salience of alarms that operators might already notice, thereby reducing the disruption on workflow and attention for managing uninformative alarms. This research investigated the central hypothesis that eye fixations could supply passive input to acknowledge alarms anticipated by the operators and thereby improve their overall task performance. A dual-task experiment recruiting 24 participants was conducted to compare three gaze-based alarm acknowledgement methods –Proximity, Prediction, and Entropy- against no acknowledgement across three types of scenarios – Near-threshold, Trending, and Fluctuation. The gaze-based acknowledgement methods reduced visual and auditory salience of alarms as a function of the number of fixations on parameters as well as characteristics of the parameter known to influence operator monitoring behaviors. The participants performed an alarm monitoring task while controlling a continuous parameter within an acceptable range. While participants showed a preference for all of three gaze-based acknowledgment methods, performance of the parameter control task did not improve with gaze-based acknowledgement. Scenario types, as defined by the behavior of the parameters, exhibited a significant effect on the performance of the parameter control task, suggesting a greater influence on participant attention than the reduced salience associated with the gaze-based acknowledgments. Additional analysis revealed that gaze-acknowledgements are higher in scenarios with the most suitable for the gaze-based acknowledgement methods, although the participants did not show any gaze-based acknowledgements and did not make a prediction of an alarm for a significant portion of the trials, suggesting a lack of resource allocation to the alarm monitoring task. This result suggests that the effectiveness of gaze-based acknowledgement may depend on the combination of on-going tasks. Taken together, the experimental results showed some utility of user gaze in managing alarms given how acknowledgement occurred more often when the acknowledgement methods and parameters matched; however, further design research is necessary to translate the utility into clear performance or productivity benefits. / Master of Science / Industrial control rooms are notorious for having too many alarms triggered within minutes and operators are hindered by responding to these alarms as opposed to the actual process faults. Existing alarm management research and applications have already reduced nuisance alarms by filtering out those correlated to one another according to historical data or plant models. However, existing approaches have not eliminated the process parameters that operators already expect to reach alarm thresholds. In other words, current alarm management has not adapted for operator awareness of impending alarms. This study explored how eye-tracking might be used to acknowledge alarms anticipated by operators, thereby reducing uninformative alarms and interruption to operator work. The participants performed an alarm monitoring task while trying to maintain a fluctuating parameter within an acceptable range. While participants liked the gaze-based acknowledgement methods, their performance on the parameter control task did not improve over conditions without any alarm acknowledgement. The alarm monitoring task may not have received sufficient attention to induce an observable benefit. The characteristics of the parameter seemed to have a larger effect on participants' attention than the muted alarm presentation associated with the gaze-based acknowledgment. Further research is necessary to refine the current design to induce the postulated attention and performance benefits with gaze-based acknowledgement.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) wishes to minimize the overall operational costs of their aviation security detection systems. These systems consist of a collection of security devices. The objective of this research is to develop an algorithm to design the optimal system of devices. The Secure Air Flight Effectiveness (SAFE) Model accomplishes this objective by using the probability of detection and the probability of giving a false alarm for each individual device. A Generalized Hill Climbing (GHC) algorithm was implemented to identify the system with the minimum operational cost. Suggestions for future research directions are also included. / Master of Science

This study investigated automobile drivers' ability to localize auditory and haptic (touch) alarms in terms of speed and accuracy. Thirty-two subjects, balanced across age (20-30 years old and 60-70 years old) and gender, participated in the study. Subjects were screened for minimum hearing of 40 dB for 500 Hz through 4000 Hz auditory tones, and maximum bilateral hearing differences of 10 dB. The experiment consisted of subjects identifying the target location of an alarm while driving a 2001 Buick LeSabre at 55 mph in light traffic. Four alarm modes were tested: 1) an auditory broadband alarm, 2) a haptic seat, 3) a combination of the haptic and the auditory alarm modes, and 4) a combination of the haptic alarm mode with a non-directional auditory alarm played from the front speakers of the vehicle. The alarms were evoked from eight target locations: the front-left, front, front-right, right, back-right, back, back-left, and left. The target locations of the auditory alarm mode existed around the interior of the car cabin using the vehicle's stock sound system speakers. The haptic alarm target locations existed in the bottom of the driver seat using an eight-by-eight grid of actuators. The experimenter evoked the alarms while subjects drove along a two-lane highway, and the alarms were not associated with any actual collision threat. Subjects were instructed to quickly identify the location of the alarm by calling them out, while being as correct as possible. Their choice response time and target location selection was recorded. The alarms were presented approximately every minute during fifteen-minute intervals over the duration of two and a half hours. Subjects completed questionnaires regarding their preference to the alarm modes. Under the conditions investigated, subjects localized the haptic alarm mode faster and more accurately than the auditory alarm mode. Subjects performed equally well with the haptic alarm mode and the two auditory and haptic combination alarm modes in terms of speed and accuracy in identifying their location. Subjects did express a preference for the addition of the auditory component to the haptic alarm mode, perhaps owing to a heightened sense of urgency. However, subjects preferred the haptic alarm mode on its own in response to hypothetical false alarm questions, perhaps because it was less annoying. Alarm mode discriminability was believed to affect localization accuracy and response time owing to its effect on the likelihood of correctly identifying a target location and the attention resources required to differentiate adjacent target locations. / Master of Science

Denna slutrapport beskriver projektarbetet Funktionsbeskrivning av Brandlarms-styrningen av Ventilationssystemet ombord Korvett av Göteborgsklass som beställdes av divisionsingenjören vid 41.korvettdivisionen. Bakgrunden till projektets beställning var att fartygens dokumentation över ventilationssystemets funktion vid brand var bristfällig vilket försvårade underhåll, felsökning och utbildning av och på systemet. Den ofullständiga dokumentationen var ett resultat av att individerna i fartygs­klassen modifierats i flera olika omgångar utan att dokumentationen uppdaterats på ett tillfredsställande sätt. Det hade även framkommit att det fanns olikheter i konfigurationen av fartygsindividernas system. Projektet genomfördes dels genom studier av den befintliga dokumentation som fanns att tillgå ombord och på divisionen, dels genom praktiska under­sökningar ombord på fartygen. Under de praktiska undersökningarna framkom behov av ytterligare utredningar än de som ursprungligen framgick av det erhållna uppdraget. Projektet påvisade skillnader mellan fartygens system, vissa förmodat felaktiga styr­ningar av fläktar och spjäll samt fastställde att dokumentationen var bristfällig. Projektet resulterade i ett antal beskrivande dokument som sammanställdes i en pärm för respektive fartyg. Dessa uppfyller det givna uppdraget och målen med projektet. En större modifiering av fartygen i klassen med syfte att förlänga deras operativa livslängd är under planeringsstadiet. Under modifieringen skall bland annat fartygens dokumen­tation uppdateras, något som resultaten från detta projekt kommer underlätta. / This is the final report regarding the project A Functional Description of the Fire Alarm Con­trol in the Ventilation System aboard the Swedish Navy’s Gothenburg-class Corvettes, wh­­ich was commissioned by the Senior Marine Engineer Officer of the 41st Corvette Sq­­ua­d­ron of the 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla. The reason for the commission was that the set of documentation concerning the function of the ventilation system in case of a fire was insufficient. This caused problems, both during maintenance work done to en­­­su­re that the system was operating in accordance with the design parameters, as well as when trouble-shooting the system. The insufficient set of documentation was a result of a number of upgrades done to the ships over the ye­ars without any corr­e­s­p­on­ding up­date of the documentation. During the project it has also been made clear that there were non-documented differences existing be­­tween the ships in the class. The project was fulfilled by a combination of studies of the existing set of do­cumen­tation and practical surveys aboard the ships. During the surveys, more short­comings in the existing set of documentation became evident. The project demonstrated differences between the individual ships, assumed inaccuracies in the control of fans and dampers and determined the shortage in the set of documentation. The project has resulted in a number of describing documents that are collected in one unique file for each ship. These documents fulfil the commission and the objectives of the project. A major upgrade of the ships in the class with the purpose of extending their operational lifetime is now being planned. The ships’ set of documentation will be simultaneously updated, a task that will be simplified with the support of the results of this project.

Denna studie ska påvisa den problematik som ett fartygsbefäl kan känna och uppleva när ett larm signalerar på en fartygsbrygga. Syftet är att beskriva problemen samt ta vara på befälens egna erfarenheter utav larmpaneler ombord på fartygens bryggor, samt vad man skulle kunna göra för att minimera problemen. Vi har valt i denna studie att göra en kvalitativ undersökning med hjälp av enkäter samt intervjuer. På detta sätt kan vi fånga upp fartygsbefälens egna erfarenheter och de känslor som de beskriver. Resultatet har visat sig att det finns problem med lokaliseringen av larm för de oerfarna samt att de dessutom kan tappa sin uppmärksamhet med navigationen av det egna fartyget. De kan bli ståendes vid larmpanelen för att hitta rätt knappar och menyer för länge. För de mer erfarna visar de sig att det går snabbare att lokalisera larmen. Det finns risk för att man kan missa allvarligheten i larmets betydelse eftersom de mer erfarna befälen kvittera mer på rutin. Även att larmen har för snarlik signal sinsemellan, att vissa larm kan vara svåra att avgöra från signalen enbart vilken kritisk nivå och prioritet de har. Det finns bland majoriteten av de som ingått i denna undersökning en önskan om en mer central gemensam larmpanel för alla larm. Det finns bland intervjupersonerna en positiv inställning om att få till en standard på den bryggutrustning som används. Där man alltid har samma upplägg på dem system som finns bland olika tillverkare. / This study will state the problems that a ships’ officers might feel when a bridge alarm signals. The purpose is to describe the problems and seize the officers own experiences and also look at things to do to minimize the problems. We chose to do a qualitative study with questionnaire surveys and interviews. With this method we can seize the officers’ experiences and feelings. The final result shows that inexperienced Officers can have problems to locate the alarm which is signaling on the bridge. Which may cause lost supervision of the navigation. The more experienced Officers have few problems in locating the alarms. But the risk is higher of missing critical alarms due to routine acknowledge of the alarms. Some alarms have too similar signal between each other, it can be difficult for the operator by only from the signal from the alarm to determent the critical level and it’s priority. The results also state that there is a majority of the officers who would like a common alarm panel on the bridge. Also the interviews showed a good thought about a standard- siring of the bridge equipment. Where you always have the same structure on the bridge equipment.

<p>Denna studie ska påvisa den problematik som ett fartygsbefäl kan känna och uppleva när ett larm signalerar på en fartygsbrygga. Syftet är att beskriva problemen samt ta vara på befälens egna erfarenheter utav larmpaneler ombord på fartygens bryggor, samt vad man skulle kunna göra för att minimera problemen. Vi har valt i denna studie att göra en kvalitativ undersökning med hjälp av enkäter samt intervjuer. På detta sätt kan vi fånga upp fartygsbefälens egna erfarenheter och de känslor som de beskriver. Resultatet har visat sig att det finns problem med lokaliseringen av larm för de oerfarna samt att de dessutom kan tappa sin uppmärksamhet med navigationen av det egna fartyget. De kan bli ståendes vid larmpanelen för att hitta rätt knappar och menyer för länge. För de mer erfarna visar de sig att det går snabbare att lokalisera larmen. Det finns risk för att man kan missa allvarligheten i larmets betydelse eftersom de mer erfarna befälen kvittera mer på rutin. Även att larmen har för snarlik signal sinsemellan, att vissa larm kan vara svåra att avgöra från signalen enbart vilken kritisk nivå och prioritet de har. Det finns bland majoriteten av de som ingått i denna undersökning en önskan om en mer central gemensam larmpanel för alla larm. Det finns bland intervjupersonerna en positiv inställning om att få till en standard på den bryggutrustning som används. Där man alltid har samma upplägg på dem system som finns bland olika tillverkare.</p> / <p>This study will state the problems that a ships’ officers might feel when a bridge alarm signals. The purpose is to describe the problems and seize the officers own experiences and also look at things to do to minimize the problems. We chose to do a qualitative study with questionnaire surveys and interviews. With this method we can seize the officers’ experiences and feelings. The final result shows that inexperienced Officers can have problems to locate the alarm which is signaling on the bridge. Which may cause lost supervision of the navigation. The more experienced Officers have few problems in locating the alarms. But the risk is higher of missing critical alarms due to routine acknowledge of the alarms. Some alarms have too similar signal between each other, it can be difficult for the operator by only from the signal from the alarm to determent the critical level and it’s priority. The results also state that there is a majority of the officers who would like a common alarm panel on the bridge. Also the interviews showed a good thought about a standard- siring of the bridge equipment. Where you always have the same structure on the bridge equipment.</p>

<p>Denna slutrapport beskriver projektarbetet <em>Funktionsbeskrivning av Brandlarms-styrningen av Ventilationssystemet ombord Korvett av Göteborgsklass</em> som beställdes av divisionsingenjören vid 41.korvettdivisionen. Bakgrunden till projektets beställning var att fartygens dokumentation över ventilationssystemets funktion vid brand var bristfällig vilket försvårade underhåll, felsökning och utbildning av och på systemet. Den ofullständiga dokumentationen var ett resultat av att individerna i fartygs­klassen modifierats i flera olika omgångar utan att dokumentationen uppdaterats på ett tillfredsställande sätt. Det hade även framkommit att det fanns olikheter i konfigurationen av fartygsindividernas system.</p><p>Projektet genomfördes dels genom studier av den befintliga dokumentation som fanns att tillgå ombord och på divisionen, dels genom praktiska under­sökningar ombord på fartygen. Under de praktiska undersökningarna framkom behov av ytterligare utredningar än de som ursprungligen framgick av det erhållna uppdraget.</p><p>Projektet påvisade skillnader mellan fartygens system, vissa förmodat felaktiga styr­ningar av fläktar och spjäll samt fastställde att dokumentationen var bristfällig. Projektet resulterade i ett antal beskrivande dokument som sammanställdes i en pärm för respektive fartyg. Dessa uppfyller det givna uppdraget och målen med projektet.</p><p>En större modifiering av fartygen i klassen med syfte att förlänga deras operativa livslängd är under planeringsstadiet. Under modifieringen skall bland annat fartygens dokumen­tation uppdateras, något som resultaten från detta projekt kommer underlätta.</p> / <p>This is the final report regarding the project <em>A Functional Description of the Fire Alarm Con­trol in the Ventilation System aboard the Swedish Navy’s Gothenburg-class Corvettes,</em> wh­­ich was commissioned by the Senior Marine Engineer Officer of the 41st Corvette Sq­­ua­d­ron of the 4th Naval Warfare Flotilla. The reason for the commission was that the set of documentation concerning the function of the ventilation system in case of a fire was insufficient. This caused problems, both during maintenance work done to en­­­su­re that the system was operating in accordance with the design parameters, as well as when trouble-shooting the system. The insufficient set of documentation was a result of a number of upgrades done to the ships over the ye­ars without any corr­e­s­p­on­ding up­date of the documentation. During the project it has also been made clear that there were non-documented differences existing be­­tween the ships in the class.</p><p>The project was fulfilled by a combination of studies of the existing set of do­cumen­tation and practical surveys aboard the ships. During the surveys, more short­comings in the existing set of documentation became evident.</p><p>The project demonstrated differences between the individual ships, assumed inaccuracies in the control of fans and dampers and determined the shortage in the set of documentation. The project has resulted in a number of describing documents that are collected in one unique file for each ship. These documents fulfil the commission and the objectives of the project.</p><p>A major upgrade of the ships in the class with the purpose of extending their operational lifetime is now being planned. The ships’ set of documentation will be simultaneously updated, a task that will be simplified with the support of the results of this project.</p>

The thesis deals with the design and realization of electronic security system (ESS) for the house. ESS evaluates signals from radar move-detection sensors also allows connection of other types of move-detection, magnetic contacts, laser gates and smoke detector. The interruption is signaled via SMS sent to the owner of the building and via acoustic warning. The security system also allows the connection temperature sensors, as well as monitoring electricity consumption or central control home appliances and other devices. These features are optional, they can be used to remotely monitor the status of the object respectively its management even via SMS.

The thesis deals with the design and realization of electronic security system (ESS) for the house. ESS evaluates signals from radar move-detection sensors also allows connection of other types of move-detection, magnetic contacts, laser gates and smoke detector. The interruption is signaled via SMS sent to the owner of the building and via acoustic warning. The security system also allows the connection temperature sensors, as well as monitoring electricity consumption or central control home appliances and other devices. These features are optional, they can be used to remotely monitor the status of the object respectively its management even via SMS.

The first part of this work is about history of infusion technology, specially about recent developments in electronic infusion devices. Then, there are described basic principles of infusion pumps and syringe pumps. The second part introduces safety features of infusion technology. An occlusion alarm is one of them. There is described a method of measurement that verifies the functionality of this alarm in two instruments of different producers with various settings. Data obtained by this method are statistically processed and the results discussed.