US D101.2:H 88/2 DIRECTOR'S PREFACE Since its estab li shment in 1951 by the Chief of Ordnance, the U.S. Army Human Engineering Laboratory (one of seven laboratori es within U.S. Army Laboratory Command) has ga ined national and international recognition as a lead in g organization in human performance research and hum an factors engi neering technology development. Human factors engineering (HFE) in the Army emphasizes man-in-the-loop design and is orien ted towards simp li fying the operation and maintenance of equipment, reducing time and error, reducing train ing time for soldi ers, reducing manpower required to perform tasks and increasing battlefield effectiveness. The hi gh ly sk ill ed scienti sts and engineers employed by the HEL conduct basic and app li ed research to determine the interactions of so ldi ers with present and future technologies and maintain the human factors scientific and technical knowledge base for application to U.S. Army materiel designs . Technology transfer is accomplished through HEL detachments and field offices located at U.S. Army Materiel Command (A MC) major subordin ate commands and U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) centers and schools. The engineers assigned to these detachments and fie ld offices provide human factors advice and counsel to combat developers, materiel developers and their contractors and also prepare human factors engineering assessments and Manpower and Personnel Integration (MAN PRINT) assessments of Army materiel systems which are presented to decision-makers throughout the acquisition cycle. HEL works with an extensive network of research and development activities throughout the government, the private sector, and academia; and also maintains close ties with our alli es through chairmansh ip and membership on technical committees, advisory groups, and panels. HEL efforts ass ure that state-of-the art eq uipment and facilities exist to conduct laboratory and field research in the most effec tiv e and efficient manner possible. HEL 's facilities consis t of lab and office space, simulation capabi lities, test support shops for fabrication and electronics design, and indoor and outdoor ranges and test courses containing highly specialized state-of-the-art equipment , unique high technology instrumentation and fully computer ized measurement systems. Through the use of these facilities , HEL can closely examine the soldier-machine interface to determine the most effective technologies and eq uipment designs for the future. The HEL takes pride in the many contrib uti ons that it has made to U.S. Am1y materiel development, the continuing role that the laboratory plays in advancing the human behavioral and biological sciences, and to defense technology . The lab is proud of it s staff and its national and international reputation based on its outstanding con tributions and quality of its research in the human factors field. ~~ Director ISON INTRODUCTION Human factors engineering (HFE) is a specialized field of engineering that takes into account the limitations and capabilities of soldiers during the design and modification of weapons and equipment. HFE in the U.S. Army emphasizes man-in-the-loop design and is oriented towards simplifying the operation and maintenance of equipment, reducing training time and error, reducing training time for soldiers, reducing the manpower required to perform tasks and increasing battlefield effectiveness. The U.S. Army Human Engineering Laboratory (HEL), at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the Army's lead laboratory for human factors engineering, and a leading laboratory for robotics research and development. A staff of highly skilled scientists and engineers study human factors and apply the results in design in order to maximize the soldier ' s effectiveness in the operation and maintenance of U.S. Army materiel. The laboratory has gained world-wide recognition in human factors research to ensure weapons and equipment are designed and/or modified for the soldier early in the design phase, and that the tasks soldiers are required to perform on the battlefield are within their physical and mental abiliti es. A variety of approaches to simpl ify the operation and maintenance of equipment, reduce training time, reduce crew size, skills, and workload required to perform different tasks have been developed through this human factors research. HEL provides human factors engineering support in the design of combat vehicles, aviation, artillery, air defense, and combat service support equipment, individual weapons, personal equipment, communications, and the life support equipment for protection in nuclear, biological and chemically contaminated environments . The Army has a wide range of weapons, vehicles and equipment which are used by soldiers with a variety of skills and body sizes, by men and women who may be rested or very tired. It is essential that the equipment be easy to use, fast, accurate and reliable under all of these conditions. The A1my's goal is to produce affordable weapons and equipment th at are effective when used by soldiers who must operate and maintain them in all environments and in combat. The HEL plays a major role in helping the Anny achieve this goal. HEL... THE BEGINNING Human factors engineering , or designing machinery so that people can use it most effectively has a relatively brief history. Although considering the soldiers ' capabilities and limitations have always been an important issue in any Army, it was not until 1951 that the U. S. Army Human Engineering Laboratory was established. In 1951 , the Chief of Ordnance wrote, "It appears timely to provide human engineering assessments in our development engineering designs . Therefore , it is proposed that certain human engineering services be included in the activities at Aberdeen Proving Ground." Thjs letter to the Commanding General at Aberdeen led to the conduct of studies and surveys, culminating , in 1952, in formation of the Human Engineering Laboratory with a handful of military and civilian personnel in temporary buildings. Dr. Ben Ami Blau, served as the first laboratory director from 1952 to 1957. With only six personnel in 1952 the strength of the laboratory slowly increased during 1953 to about 40 military and civilian personnel. Dr. Blau resigned in 1957 and Dr. John D. Weisz was appointed the HEL director. By 1957, the HEL was becoming more an Army wide materiel development supporting organization in the human factors engineering field and has continued to provide human factors research results to the U.S. Army, Department of Defense, industry and allies. r" HEL TODAY The HEL today has a staff of more than 250 military and civi li an professionals working side by side to bring an integrated approach to human factors problems. These professionals cond uct basic and app li ed research to determine the interactions of soldi ers with present and future technologies and to maintain the human factors scientific and technical knowledge base for appl icat ion to U.S. Army materie l designs. The modern faci liti es at the HEL include computerized outdoor and indoor sma ll arms firing ranges; special ized robotic test fac ilities; a test area for ex perimenting with ammun iti on handling; ai r defense and aviation crewstation sim ul ators; fire support C3 simulation capabili ti es; a computerized obstacle course designed to evaluate individual clothing and equ ipment; metal , woodworking and electronics shops; and a comprehensive human factors technical information li brary. Human factors engineering research and development takes place both in the laboratory and in the fie ld . Researchers bring soldiers to the HEL faci lities or travel to other military installations to conduct human factors research in a variety of areas. This knowledge is then provided to the Anny's combat and materiel developers for incorporation in the initial design of military hardware in order to achieve the optimal level of soldier-machine integration. The HEL covers 88 acres of property in side the Industrial Area of Aberdeen Provi ng Ground and reports directly to th e U.S. Army Laboratory Command (LA BCOM) in Adelphi , Maryland , which is a major su bordinate command of the Army Materiel Command (AMC). Curren tl y, the Human Engineering Laboratory consists of seven di visions • Aviation a nd Ai r Defense • Behavior al Researc h • Close Combat-Light & Heavy • Combat Ser vice Supp ort • Fire Supp ort a nd Targe t Acq uisition • Field Supp ort • Serv ices and Supp or t The HEL also has 16 field offices and detachments located around the country. The Laboratory provides direct human fac tors engineering support to subordinate co mmands, project managers of AMC and to the Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) cen ters and sc hools through field office and detachment representatives . The field office network, es tablished in 1975 , is designed to add ress human factors related to the specific wo rk at the Army 's major commands and schools throughout the United States and overseas. The Av iati on and Air Defense Div ision (AA DD) has engineers, compu ter scie nti sts, and psychologis ts who work in teams to carry out the di vision' s mi ss ion -to enh ance, improve, and simpli fy the operator and mai ntainer interface wi th av iation and air defense materiel. A major focus is on human engineerin g factors in th e Army's current combined arm s counterair approach to air defense. This approach includes a change in the trad iti onal role of the heli copter as a weapon to defeat a ground threat including air-to-air combat operati ons. AADD consists of the fo ll owing three teams: • Aviation ex pl oits current and concept materi el system perfo rmance studies related to avi ation mi ss ions within the Anny and determines human and materiel component contri buti ons to the effecti veness of the total system. • Air Defense identifies technical and operati onal perfonnance data needs of soldi ers and devise ex perimental techniques to sati sfy the e needs. Al so, consultative support on soldi er performance rel ationships to th e user and developer community and develop des ign guide lines for research results are prov ided. • Systems Simulation is responsibl e fo r modi fy ing, developing, upgrading and operating the computer-based human fac tors research simulator systems for av iati on and air defense research. The goal of the Av iation and Air Defense Di vision is to create a center of excell ence fo r soldier perfonnance data as it relates to aviati on and air defen e materiel. , .... The mission of the Behavioral Research Division (BRD) is to define and conduct research programs directed toward the development of new knowledge specifying the soldier ' s psychological and psychophysiological capabilities and limitations, with emphasis on soldier-machine interface, performance in adverse and stressful environments, and human information processing. That knowledge is then related to future Army materiel requirements and human factors applications, and integrated into the research and development community. This research is accomplished by the following four teams : • Auditory Performance team generates soldier performance data via laboratory and field evaluations aimed at finding the mechanisms by which noises affect soldiers. • Remote Operations and Information Processing team conducts basic research into the quality and quantity of visual information required to enable soldiers to effectively employ systems that rely on indirect, processed, or altered presentations of visual information. • Stress and Performance team generates soldier performance data to quantify stress and its effect on performance through the development and application of a stress metric. • Visual Performance team optimizes the use of visual information by soldiers through enhancing the knowledge of how visual stimuli are processed and how processing relates to human performance by conducting research into eye mQse.ments . . /"Ill OI~ IV Cnull Jf NEW YORK AT BUFFAL MAR 2 5 1992 OCUMENTS DEPOSITOR' IIBRARY 0433 CLOSE COMBAT-LIGHT AND HEAVY DIVISION The Close Combat-Light and Heavy Division (CC-LHD) conducts soldier and materiel performance analyses and evaluations of individual soldier weapons, clothing, equipment, and combat vehicles to increase the ind ividua l soldier's survivability , operabi li ty and effectiveness on the battlefield. CC-LHD consists of the following five teams: • Individual Soldier and Equ ipment team is responsible for human factors engineering of indiv idua l weapons which include small arms and light antitank and assau lt weapons, crew served weapons, and individual clothing and anci ll ary equipment such as cold weather clothing, back packs and sleeping bags. • Nuclear Biological Chemical Defense tea m oversees individual soldier protective equipment such as chemical protective overgarments and masks, and chemical alarms and test kits. • Armor team is responsible for human factors engineering of tracked and wheeled combat vehicles including tanks, armored personnel carrie rs, trucks and jeeps. • Modeling Applications and Analysis team develops ergonomic models that can be placed into an equipment environment using computer aided design. They also provide expertise in military operations in urban terrain . • Systems Integration team supports the division ' s efforts via development of computer data acquisition and analysis hardware and software, designing and planning in areas of experimental COMBAT SERVICE SUPPORT DIVISION The mission of the Combat Service Support Division (CSSD) is to: • Conduct current and concept materiel system performance research and analysis related to combat support and combat service support mi ss ions of soldi ers; • Determine materiel and human component contributions to enhance the effectiveness of field logistics and combat operations; and • Develop unique or innovative methods and measures to assess quantitative or qualitative soldier and materiel performance. Thi s important mi ssion is accomplished by three teams: • Tactical Logistics Systems handles advanced tactical logi stics supply management operations and the application of Artificial Intelligence to logistics systems. • Robotic Sciences and Military Applications exploit robotic applications to improve mi ssion capabilties and soldier survivab ility under limited manpower and hostil e environment constraints. • Intelligence Machine Interface develops the knowledge base for interfacing the soldier with all classes of robotic devices. Over the years, CSSD has developed several technology base efforts to address the soldier and robot interface issues. Among these are the Soldier-Robot Interface Program (S RIP) vehicle, an HEL telerobot, composed of a manipulator mounted aboard a tel erobotic vehicle. SRIP is controlled by a combination of onboard computing and input from an operator located at a remote station away from hazards in a field environment. The Field Material Handling Robot Technology (FMR-T), is a hi ghl y advanced and capable pick and place robot that is designed to be unmanned in the fi eld. It has a maximum paylaod of 4000 lbs., and a maximum extension of 29 feet which makes it the largest, most powerful robot in the world . It can download a semi-trailer loaded with ammunition; be driven at speeds over 20 miles per hour; and it will fit inside a C-141 airplane. Also the CSSD has developed the robotic test beds, a U.S. Army Laboratory Command cooperative project which addresses critical battlefield iss ues of a telerobotic weapons platform. Currently, research is being conducted to develop more efficient robotic visual systems, manipulators, command and control displays, communication links, and remote target detection and acquisition. The Fire Support and Target Acquisition Division (FSTAD) efforts are directed at improving the quality and qu antity of artillery fire support that can be provided to maneuver commands whil e simplify in g the tasks of the soldiers providing the fire support. Many of the division 's in vesti gati ons are done using test bed hardware and softw are developed from ex istin g commerciall y-avail abl e equipment. These test beds aLl ow researchers to evaluate several altern ati ve solutions to soldi er and mac hine interface problems and to modi fy test equipment and concepts rapidl y in response to emerging test results. FSTAD consists of the fo llowing three teams: • Test Bed Development team develops test bed systems to evalu ate concepts to reduce crew size and training requirements, increase soldi er survivability and increase firing pl atfo rm responsiveness. • Combined Arms Command and Control team investi gates the comm and and control interface between the maneuver company commander and the fire support team chief to simplify pl anning of supporting artillery fires and improve their responsiveness. • Studies and Concepts team is charged with developing new fire support systems concepts. Its tas ks range from selecting hi gh payoff research areas by definin g fire support system errors to developing a Gl obal Pos itioning System artillery fu ze concept. FIELD SUPPORT DIVISION The Field Support Division (FS D) has 16 field detachments and offices located at U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) major subordinate commands, and U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) centers and schools. Engineers assigned to these detachments and field offices provide hum an factors advice and coun sel to combat developers, materi el developers and their con tractors and also prepare human fac tors engineering assessments and Manpower and Personn el Integration (MANPRINT) assessments of Atmy materiel systems. MANPRINT helps the design engineer ensure that sold iers receive equ ipment th ey can operate and maintain effective ly. Engineers at the detachments participate in source selection eva lu ation boards, in-process review, mock-up rev iews, design reviews, and test integration worki ng groups, to insure that action is taken to correct or eliminate critical human factors problems as a result of these rev iews. Detachm ent engineers insure that test plans for materiel systems under development by AMC include adequate provisions for obtaining and anlayzing soldier performance and other hum an factors data. The FSD also provides an excell ent opportunity for the HEL to achieve success in its technology transfer mission . Ft. Monmouth, NJ The Services and Support Divi sion (SSD) is the only nontechnical division within the HEL. It provides administrative, resource management, equipment and supply management, information management, facilities , eng ineering and technical support services to HEL. A staff of professionals in these areas provide quality services to all civilian and military personnel assigned to the laboratory. The SSD plans and executes programs within the laboratory relative to automation, budgets, contracts, engineering design, test fabrication support, environmental management, mail functions, manpower management, property accountability, public affairs, safety, security, technical photographic and illu trative support, technical library services and technical reports. SSD is dedicated to developing and maintaining a technically competent, well-trained and highly motivated professional staff to ensu re that: High quality and responsive support services are provided to laboratory personnel; The administrative workload for the HEL scientific and technical staff is red uced; and Timely and accurate data bases, reports and analyse are provided to HEL management to assist in sound planning and decision making. This division is also responsible for developing numerous informative handbooks and internal operating procedures to assist HEL managers in fiscal and personnel management. Military and civili an researchers at th e HEL stud y ph ys iologica l and psychological fac tors that directl y affect a so ldi er' s performance on the battl efi eld . The goal is to ensure that the soldi er continues to fight effecti vely despi te the many stresses and hazards th at will be ex peri enced in combat. Re earchers study the capabiliti es and limitations of the soldier under reali sti c " battl efi eld " conditions and provide technical assistance on ways of improv ing the soldi ers' perfo rmance as an operator or maintainer of weapon systems. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES The Human Engi neering Laboratory seeks coll ege graduates with Bachelor's degrees in arts or science with majors in psychology , engineering, operations research, or computer science. Typical jobs deal with research regarding basic knowledge of human capabi lities and limitations (visual/a uditory/cognitive functions, etc.) as well as the applicatio ns of human factors engineering (HFE) principles to the design , development and evaluation of military equ ipment (armored vehicles, aircraft, missile systems, command and control eq uipment, etc.). HFE applications work includes evaluation of the soldi ermachine interface aspects of system design (both hardwa re and software) system perfo1mance analysis, contractor design monitoring, human factors engineering analysis and participation in laboratory and field operational testing of military equipment. The management of people with their inherent and/or developed talents is what a firstclass laboratory is all abo ut. HEL has been extremely successful in structuring a people management system that promotes the development of a highly motivated, technically competent and highly productive workforce. New employees are enroll ed in a training program developed by the upervisor which is tailored to the needs of both the organization a d the individual. HEL encou rages a broad base of funct ional experience to enhance individual career goals, job sati sfaction and organizational needs. 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