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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2021

Human Performance of Novice Schedulers for Complex Spaceflight Operations Timelines

Objective: Investigate the effects on human performance as a function of scheduling task complexity for novice schedulers creating spaceflight timelines. Background: Future astronauts will be expected to self-schedule, yet will not be experts in creating timelines that meet complex constraints inherent to spaceflight operations. Method: Conducted a within-subject experiment to measure scheduling efficiency, effectiveness, workload and situation awareness while varying scheduling task complexity factors, namely number of constraints and types of constraints. Results: Fifteen participants completed various scheduling problems. Performance differences were identified between the independent variables. There was a main effect due to the number of constraints and type of constraint for efficiency, effectiveness, and workload. Significant interactions were observed in situation awareness and workload for certain types of constraints. Results also suggest that a lower number of constraints may be manageable by novice schedulers when compared to scheduling activities without constraints. Conclusion: Results suggest that novice schedulers performance decreases with high number of constraints and future scheduling aids may have to be targeted to type of constraint. Application: Knowledge on the effect of scheduling task complexity will help design scheduling systems that will enable self-scheduling for future astronauts. It will also inform other domains that conduct complex scheduling, such as nursing and manufacturing.

scheduling↗
NASA NTRS2000

Analytic Guided-Search Model of Human Performance Accuracy in Target- Localization Search Tasks

Current models of human visual search have extended the traditional serial/parallel search dichotomy. Two successful models for predicting human visual search are the Guided Search model and the Signal Detection Theory model. Although these models are inherently different, it has been difficult to compare them because the Guided Search model is designed to predict response time, while Signal Detection Theory models are designed to predict performance accuracy. Moreover, current implementations of the Guided Search model require the use of Monte-Carlo simulations, a method that makes fitting the model's performance quantitatively to human data more computationally time consuming. We have extended the Guided Search model to predict human accuracy in target-localization search tasks. We have also developed analytic expressions that simplify simulation of the model to the evaluation of a small set of equations using only three free parameters. This new implementation and extension of the Guided Search model will enable direct quantitative comparisons with human performance in target-localization search experiments and with the predictions of Signal Detection Theory and other search accuracy models.

Eckstein, Miguel P.↗
NASA NTRS1970

Human performance measuring device

Complex coordinator, consisting of operator control console, recorder, subject display panel, and limb controls, measures human performance by testing perceptual and motor skills. Device measures psychophysiological functions in drug and environmental studies, and is applicable to early detection of psychophysiological body changes.

Michael, J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The effects of multiple aerospace environmental stressors on human performance

An extended Fitt's law paradigm reaction time (RT) task was used to evaluate the effects of acceleration on human performance in the Dynamic Environment Simulator (DES) at Armstrong Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This effort was combined with an evaluation of the standard CSU-13 P anti-gravity suit versus three configurations of a 'retrograde inflation anti-G suit'. Results indicated that RT and error rates increased 17 percent and 14 percent respectively from baseline to the end of the simulated aerial combat maneuver and that the most common error was pressing too few buttons.

Popper, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1965

Effects of prolonged exposure to pure oxygen on human performance

In view of the pure oxygen atmosphere selected for Project Mercury, and in anticipation of subsequent manned space missions of increasing duration, it was apparent that there was a need to obtain more extensive physiological data on the prolonged effects of pure oxygen environments on the crews. This study, conducted by Republic Aviation Corporation under Contract NASR-92, was initiated in collaboration with General Charles Roadman, USAF (MC), Director of Aerospace Medicine (formerly the Office of Life Sciences, NASA Headquarters), and his staff in an effort to provide a greater breadth of scientific data on the prolonged effects of such an environment on human performance. Although the 5 psi environment of Project Mercury was the focal point of the study, a broader appraisal of the effects of pure oxygen in the absence of nitrogen was attempted by including studies at 7.4 psi and 3.8 psi in addition to a control group at sea level atmospheric conditions. After award of the contract, the technical monitoring of the study was provided by the Manned Spacecraft Center, Houston, Texas, where Mr. Edward Michel served as monitor and coordinator for these and related studies subsequently established in laboratories of the U.S. Navy and U. S. Air Force.

PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECT↗
DOE OSTI2024

Rancor-HUNTER: A Virtual Plant and Operator Environment for Predicting Human Performance

Advances in simulation capabilities to model physical systems have outpaced the development of simulations for humans using those physical systems. There is an argument that the infinite span of potential human behaviors inherently render human modeling more challenging than physical systems. Despite this challenge, the need for modeling humans interacting with these complex systems is paramount. As technologies have improved, many of the failure modes originating from the physical systems have been solved. This means the overall proportion of human errors has increased, such that it is not uncommon to be the primary driver of system failure in modern complex systems. Moreover, technologies such as automated systems may introduce emerging contexts that can cause new, unanticipated modes of human error. Therefore, it is now more important than ever to develop models of human behavior to realize overall system error reductions and achieve established safety margins. To support new and novel concepts of operations for the anticipated wave of advanced nuclear reactor deployments, human factors and human reliability analysis researchers need to develop advanced simulation-based approaches. This talk presents a simulation environment suitable to both collect data and then perform Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate human performance and develop better models of human behavior. Specifically, the Rancor Microworld Simulator models a complex energy production system in a simplified manner. Rancor includes computer-based procedures, which serve as a framework to automatically classify human behaviors without manual, subjective experimenter coding during scenarios. This method supports a detailed level of analysis at the task level. It is feasible for collecting large sample sizes required to develop quantitative modelling elements that have historically challenged traditional full-scope simulator study approaches. Additionally, the other portion of this experimental platform, the Human Unimodel for Nuclear Technology to Enhance Reliability (HUNTER), is presented to show how the collected data can be used to evaluate novel scenarios based on the contextual factors, or performance shaping factors, derived from Rancor simulations. Rancor-HUNTER is being used to predict operator performance with new procedures, such as results from control room modernization or new-build situations. Rancor-HUNTER is also proving a useful surrogate platform to model human performance for other complex systems.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS1992

Investigation of possible causes for human-performance degradation during microgravity flight

The results of the first year of a three year study of the effects of microgravity on human performance are given. Test results show support for the hypothesis that the effects of microgravity can be studied indirectly on Earth by measuring performance in an altered gravitational field. The hypothesis was that an altered gravitational field could disrupt performance on previously automated behaviors if gravity was a critical part of the stimulus complex controlling those behaviors. In addition, it was proposed that performance on secondary cognitive tasks would also degrade, especially if the subject was provided feedback about degradation on the previously automated task. In the initial experimental test of these hypotheses, there was little statistical support. However, when subjects were categorized as high or low in automated behavior, results for the former group supported the hypotheses. The predicted interaction between body orientation and level of workload in their joint effect on performance in the secondary cognitive task was significant for the group high in automatized behavior and receiving feedback, but no such interventions were found for the group high in automatized behavior but not receiving feedback, or the group low in automatized behavior.

Schroeder, James E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Human performance evaluation in dual-axis critical task tracking

A dual axis tracking using a multiloop critical task was set up to evaluate human performance. The effects of control stick variation and display formats are evaluated. A secondary loading was used to measure the degradation in tracking performance.

Ritchie, M. L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Cognitive consequences of clumsy automation on high workload, high consequence human performance

The growth of computational power has fueled attempts to automate more of the human role in complex problem solving domains, especially those where system faults have high consequences and where periods of high workload may saturate the performance capacity of human operators. Examples of these domains include flightdecks, space stations, air traffic control, nuclear power operation, ground satellite control rooms, and surgical operating rooms. Automation efforts may have unanticipated effects on human performance, particularly if they increase the workload at peak workload times or change the practitioners' strategies for coping with workload. Smooth and effective changes in automation requires detailed understanding of the congnitive tasks confronting the user: it has been called user centered automation. The introduction of a new computerized technology in a group of hospital operating rooms used for heart surgery was observed. The study revealed how automation, especially 'clumsy automation', effects practitioner work patterns and suggest that clumsy automation constrains users in specific and significant ways. Users tailor both the new system and their tasks in order to accommodate the needs of process and production. The study of this tailoring may prove a powerful tool for exposing previously hidden patterns of user data processing, integration, and decision making which may, in turn, be useful in the design of more effective human-machine systems.

Cook, Richard I.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Extravehicular Activity Testing in Analog Environments: Evaluating the Effects of Center of Gravity and Environment on Human Performance

Center of gravity (CG) is likely to be an important variable in astronaut performance during partial gravity extravehicular activity (EVA). The Apollo Lunar EVA experience revealed challenges with suit stability and control. The EVA Physiology, Systems and Performance Project (EPSP) in conjunction with the Constellation EVA Systems Project Office have developed plans to systematically understand the role of suit weight, CG and suit pressure on astronaut performance in partial gravity environments. This presentation based upon CG studies seeks to understand the impact of varied CG on human performance in lunar gravity.

Chappell, Steve P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Signal detection theory and methods for evaluating human performance in decision tasks

Signal Detection Theory (SDT) can be used to assess decision making performance in tasks that are not commonly thought of as perceptual. SDT takes into account both the sensitivity and biases in responding when explaining the detection of external events. In the standard SDT tasks, stimuli are selected in order to reveal the sensory capabilities of the observer. SDT can also be used to describe performance when decisions must be made as to the classification of easily and reliably sensed stimuli. Numbers are stimuli that are minimally affected by sensory processing and can belong to meaningful categories that overlap. Multiple studies have shown that the task of categorizing numbers from overlapping normal distributions produces performance predictable by SDT. These findings are particularly interesting in view of the similarity between the task of the categorizing numbers and that of determining the status of a mechanical system based on numerical values that represent sensor readings. Examples of the use of SDT to evaluate performance in decision tasks are reviewed. The methods and assumptions of SDT are shown to be effective in the measurement, evaluation, and prediction of human performance in such tasks.

Obrien, Kevin↗