The desire to send humans to Mars will require a change in the way that extravehicular activity (EVA) is performed; in-space crews (including those within a vehicle or habitat monitoring others conducting EVA) will need to be more autonomous and that will require them to monitor large amounts of information in order to ensure crew safety and mission success. The amount of information to perceive and process will overwhelm unassisted intra-vehicular (IV) crewmembers, meaning that automation will need to be developed to support these crews on Mars while EVA is performed (Mishkin, Lee, Korth, & LeBlanc, 2007). This dissertation seeks to identify the information requirements for the performance of scientific EVA and determine which information streams will need to be allocated to in-space crew and which are the most effective streams to automate. The first study uses Mars rover operations as a homology—as defined by von Bertalanffy (1968)—to human scientific exploration. Mars rover operations personnel were interviewed using a novel method to identify the information requirements to perform successful science on Mars, how that information is used, and the timescales on which those information streams operate. The identified information streams were then related to potential information streams relevant to human exploration in order to identify potential function allocation or automated system development areas. The second study focused on one identified mission-critical information stream for human space exploration: monitoring astronaut status physiologically. Heart rate, respiration rate, and heart rate variability measurements were recorded from participants as they performed field science tasks (potentially tasks that are similar to those that will be performed by astronauts on Mars). A statistical method was developed to analyze this data in order to determine whether or not physiological responses to different tasks were statistically different, and whether any of those differences followed consistent patterns. A potential method to automate the monitoring of physiological data was also described. The results of this work provide a more detailed outline of the information requirements for EVA on Mars and can be used as a starting point for others in the exploration community to further develop automation or function allocation to support astronauts as they explore Mars.

Internet, automation, digitalisering och liknande tillverkningsteknologier som associeras med Industri 4.0, eller den fjärde industriella revolutionen, håller på att förändra sättet som tillverkningsindustrier styr hela sin produktionskedja. De nya teknikerna som inkapslas av Industri 4.0-paradigmet har genererat nya smarta sätt för att effektivisera produktionen och samtidigt spara in på resurser. Men denna revolution har genererat utmaningar, liksom förmåner, inte minst för de individer som jobbar inom den industriella sektorn. I denna studie undersöks hur operatörer inom tillverkningsindustrin upplever och anpassar sig till denna typ av nya teknologi på sina arbetsplatser. Vad för typ av utmaningar och möjligheter har upplevts av de människor som står i direkt kontakt med dessa nya typer av innovationer. För att besvara denna fråga, genomfördes intervjuer med operatörer på två fabriker inom tillverkningsindustrin där ny teknologi införts och påverkat produktionskedjan. Totalt åtta operatörer, varav fem från Fabrik A och tre från Fabrik B, intervjuades genom semi-strukturerade intervjuer. Detta i syfte att generera insikt i upplevelsen av automation, internettjänster och övriga digitala hjälpmedel i arbetsuppgifter som tidigare utförts utan det. Genom metoden för grundad teori kodades och tolkades den insamlade intervjudatan och kategorier kunde bildas. Resultaten visade att det fanns ett stort behov av tydligt kommunicerad information gällande ny teknik och nya arbetssätt. Resultaten indikerar att det finns mycket utvecklingspotential när det kommer till hur operatörer underrättas om nya innovationer i deras arbete. Vidare drogs slutsatsen att det krävs en gemensam förståelse för nya systemuppdateringar och förändringar, för att dessa ska mottas och hanteras på ett bra sätt. Ur analysen framställdes en modell över de utmaningar och möjligheter som industriföretag står inför vid implementation av smarta system i sin produktion, ur de anställdas perspektiv.

This research examines the design of tiny homes and the importance they play in the lives of those that would usually have not been able to afford a house. The research will also focus on designing a tiny home with the use of design software to fully understand the extent of the characteristics of a tiny home. The design of these small dwellings, usually about 400-500 square feet, allows for a minimalist lifestyle that can be very low cost. The same materials that are used in traditional constructed homes are used for tiny homes because it makes them more durable and more valuable. Therefore, engineers and architects take great strides to think of clever designs for these small spaces to include everyday necessities while providing pleasing aesthetics. The popularity of tiny homes is rising, but they are still illegal in many parts of the country because they do not meet standard building codes. If further research is provided about the wonderful designs that these homes can provide, and the ways in which they give individuals a desired lifestyle, regardless of income, it could be possible that the flourishing tiny house movement could eventually lead to the legalization and legitimization of tiny homes nationwide.

The purpose of this literature study is to explore the most important ergonomic factors that play a role in shaping the work environment of assembly line systems. Since the subject of ergonomics in production systems has continuously gained great interest in the past years, it was decided to conduct research around this topic. The literature study type was chosen to answer the research questions. This was done because even though various articles discuss the mentioned areas, they usually still have a specific focus. For example, human errors, automation, simulation, virtual reality, etc. Therefore, it was decided to carry on with a more comprehensive review that takes into account the most important ergonomic factors in general and how they influence assembly workstations both positively and negatively. Thus, two research questions were explored: Research question:  What are the most important ergonomic factors that influence an assembly line system’s work environment? Sub-research question: What are the positive and negative effects and what causes them? In order to proceed with the study, a systematic literature review and thematic analysis were conducted through the use of secondary data only. This was done by searching for different articles through two academic databases; ScienceDirect and Scopus. Lastly, the words that were used to search for articles were highly relevant in terms of the research questions. In regards to the analysis and conclusion, different factors were found including automation and cobots, job rotation, the implementation of human factors, and repetitive manual tasks. The results showed that all these factors can affect an assembly line system’s work environment to a great extent, both positively and negatively. First of all, cobots contribute by helping human operators with difficult tasks, yet, the collaboration of humans and robots is viewed as risky to some extent. Furthermore, the level of the implementation of ergonomics at workplaces is crucial to provide a healthy work environment. Ultimately, repetitive tasks can have a great impact on workers, and thereby the whole work environment becomes affected. Therefore, convenient training sessions are highly important to ensure safety in such cases.

Incorporation of more sophisticated human factors (HF) in mathematical models for driving behavior has become an increasingly popular and important research direction in the last few years. Such models enable us to simulate under which conditions perception errors and risk-taking lead to interactions that result in unsafe traffic conditions and ultimately accidents. In this paper, we present a generic multi-level microscopic traffic modelling and simulation framework that supports this important line of research. In this framework, the driving task is modeled in a multi-layered fashion. At the highest level, we have idealized (collision-free) models for car following and other driving tasks. These models typically contain HF parameters that exogenously “govern the human factor”, such as reaction time, sensitivities to stimuli, desired speed, etc. At the lowest level, we define HF variables (task demand and capacity, awareness) with which we maintain what the information processing costs are of performing driving tasks as well as non-driving related tasks such as distractions. We model these costs using so-called fundamental diagrams of task demand. In between, we define functions that govern the dynamics of the high-level HF parameters with these HF variables as inputs. When total task demand increases beyond task capacity, first awareness may deteriorate, where we use Endsley's three-level awareness construct to differentiate between effects on perception, comprehension, anticipation and reaction time. Secondly, drivers may adapt their response in line with Fullers risk allostasis theory to reduce risk to acceptable levels. This framework can be viewed as a meta model, that provides the analyst possibilities to combine and mix a wide variety of microscopic models for driving behavior at different levels of sophistication, depending on which HF are studied, and which phenomena need to be reproduced. We illustrate the framework with a distraction (rubbernecking) case. Our results show that the framework results in endogenous mechanisms for inter- and intra-driver differences in driving behavior and can generate multiple plausible HF mechanisms to explain the same observable traffic phenomena and congestion patterns that arise due to the distraction. We believe our framework can serve as a valuable tool in testing hypotheses related to the effects of HF on traffic efficiency and traffic safety in a systematic way for both the traffic flow and HF community.

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The study focuses on the Human Factors (HF) discipline and its role in improving aviation safety and efficiency within Air Traffic Control (ATC). The objective is to contribute to a better understanding of the ATC work domain and identify opportunities for improving performance, safety and efficiency. The research also aims to understand air traffic controllers' (ATCs) experience of the Mil i-ATC alarm system and propose enhancements to improve performance. Data collection was executed through observational research at a military air traffic control tower, and semi-structured interviews with ATCs, moreover, Work Domain Analysis and Thematic Analysis were employed for data analysis. The findings highlight key factors influencing ATC operational efficiency and safety, including communication, air traffic management, and alarm management, that is realized through social, technical and physical means. Moreover, workload, stress, situational awareness, teamwork, and decision-making were identified as interrelated elements within ATC. To enhance the Mil i-ATC alarm system, the study recommends considering alarm presentation, taking into account context and operational impact. Moreover, alarms without operational significance and false alarms are identified to cause frustration and undermine the reliability of the alarm system. Further research is necessary to determine the feasibility of presenting action plans directly in the system and how alarms should be listed. It is recommended that future studies focus on sustaining ATCs' motivation and alertness during monotonous tasks or low workload situations. Additionally, it is important to determine the appropriate level of automation in ATC management systems and evaluate controllers' trust in these systems.

Many modern-day industries share features of tight coupling and high complexity, making it difficult to describe incidents in terms of direct attribution. This situation has been answered by novel theories on the bonds between people and their environment. Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) offers a new way of analysing human activities, acknowledging the impact of complex interaction and unpredictability. Doing so allows for innovative ways of pursuing work safety. In this study, the concept of safety culture has been interpreted from a CSE perspective and applied in a qualitative assessment of current safety work of at SSAB EMEA. A total number of 26 SSAB employees were interviewed, probing attitudes, perceptions and safety system structures at the Oxelösund steel mill, rolling mill and upper organizational layers. Additional data was collected using informers, SSAB documentation and participatory observation. Data was processed using a combination of top-down and bottom-up analytical approaches, creating a qualitative assessment of safety culture from salient themes. Results reveal an advanced state of safety management. However, management’s intentions are inhibited by issues in management presence and communication, management training, worker influence, forms and content of operator training, reporting, feedback, flow of communication and safety-related core assumptions. Revisiting lessons learned within the field of CSE, suggestions are made to possible areas of improvement and future research. These suggestions concern employee involvement in safety work, work identities, forms of training, manager roles and communication.

<p> Although the occupational callings literature has largely focused on positive outcomes of living a calling, there are some emerging findings that suggest that callings may have a “negative” side as well. Drawing upon past studies within the callings literature, as well as upon theoretical perspectives such as self-regulation theory, identity theory, and the Effort-Recovery model, I tested a theoretical model to examine psychological detachment as a mechanism that accounts for the relationship between living a calling (also referred to as one’s calling intensity) and two well-being outcomes: sleep quality and burnout. Further, I built on previous work in the callings literature by examining the moderating impact of two individual differences (trait mindfulness, perfectionism) on the relationship between calling intensity and psychological detachment. Study hypotheses were tested using a two-wave study design with 358 emergency medical professionals. Results revealed that for called emergency medical professionals, trait mindfulness strengthened the negative relationship between calling intensity and psychological detachment, which had downstream negative effects on sleep quality. In addition, one facet of perfectionism, namely perfectionistic strivings, exacerbated the negative indirect effect of calling intensity on sleep quality via psychological detachment. Ultimately, this study contributed to the occupational callings literature by examining the impact of differential levels of trait mindfulness and perfectionism on employee well-being. Implications for enhancing employee well-being are discussed.</p>

Toll plaza operation is a critical component of roadway operations throughout the United States, as tolls provide both revenue for expansion and opportunity for demand management. Originally cash or physical currency based, tolling has morphed to meet the twentieth century demand in terms of throughput and efficiency in the form of electronic toll collection. Electronic tolling has introduced a new form of driver decision making at toll plazas due to the additional payment choice. Despite the user convenience these facilities provide to consumers, this form of collection has not come without safety and operational concerns. Confusion at the toll plaza, unsafe merging maneuvers, and the unexpected behavior has actually increased certain crash patterns at toll plazas in some electronic tolling facilities. Building upon existing research, further work was completed to quantify the related impacts of electronic toll collection on traffic operations through a microsimulation model, and static evaluation study. While in Massachusetts overall toll plaza crashes are a minimal portion of 200,000 crashes each year in the Commonwealth at less than 0.1 percent of all crashes some toll plazas have higher crash rates than the state wide urban interstate average. Interchange 14 in Weston, Massachusetts had the highest crash rate among state toll plazas. Rear-end and same direction sideswipe collisions accounted for the highest crash numbers between the years 2010 and 2012. Microsimulation of various lane configurations derived from static evaluation feedback on driver decision making created six alternate configurations. Current plaza configuration was verified by the validated VISSIM microsimulation model to be the highest performing in terms of efficiency. A lane configuration with grouped payment lanes provided the best overall performance for alternatives with less than 1 percent difference from the current West Springfield interchange configuration. Static evaluation and microsimulation results pointed to increased efficiency and safety benefits with combination lanes. Additionally, drivers tended to avoid following heavy vehicles through plaza lanes. Motorists were willing to make up to 3 lane changes to avoid queues and may avoid combination lanes as an electronic toll customer if they anticipate a greater delay than an adjacent dedicated electronic lane. Recommendations for future research include: 1) further microsimulation modeling to examine traffic flow and safety impacts at toll plazas under varying traffic conditions and demand with open road tolling lanes strategies; and 2) developing enhancements to VISSIM to address parameter limitations associated with discrete choice modeling at toll plazas.