HFES 52nd Annual Meeting Technical Tours

Sign up for Technical Tours on the Registration Form using the code found at the beginning of each event (e.g., #T1). Tours are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis with receipt of fully paid registration. Tours not meeting a minimum attendance by September 2 are subject to cancellation.

#T1 Humanscale
Tuesday, September 23, 2:00 to 6:00 p.m., $25
Maximum attendance: 30; ADA accessible.
Humanscale has manufactured ergonomic products for the office for more than 25 years with the goal of improving the comfort of those who spend hours each day in front of a computer. The two-hour tour of Humanscale's headquarters will include a visit to the design studio, where concepts are developed and prototypes are mocked up and tested. The tour will be led by Humanscale's ergonomists and designers, who will discuss their work process as well as the human factors/ergonomics industry as a whole. The company's philosophy regarding product design is that technology can make complicated things simple. In addition to designing products, Humanscale also provides ergonomic consulting services focused on ergonomic program development for the workplace. The tour will conclude with a cocktail reception.

SOLD OUT
#T2 New York Stock Exchange NYSE/Euronext Group
Wednesday, September 24, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., $32
Maximum attendance: 20; no wheelchair access on trading floor; no photography; requires official government-issued identification (valid driver's license or passport); business attire only.
The New York Stock Exchange is the flagship of the NYSE Euronext Group, which operates the world's largest and most liquid exchange group and offers the most diverse array of financial products and services. The two-hour NYSE program will include a tour of the trading floor, a review of typical trader workspaces, a presentation of the evolution of voice and data solutions (devices and interfaces) for the mobile trader, a description of a new project to improve the large-venue digital signage system used by traders and broadcasters, and a discussion of the history of human factors at the exchange. The NYSE is one of the most recognized interior spaces in the world. On its trading floor, advanced automated systems are blended with a human-based trading tradition in a constantly evolving hybrid model. The primary users at the NYSE are the floor-based traders. Additional users include the operations staff and, to a lesser but growing extent, the broadcast networks. Floor traders utilize fixed work spaces and mobile terminals based on role and situation. The ability to deliver effective workspaces and user interfaces is complicated by the constraints imposed by a 100+-year-old landmark facility, exploding transaction rates, ever more complex trading products, changing business models, and an active regulatory environment. Formal human factors practices have been employed selectively in this context.

SOLD OUT - See #T5 below
#T3 Google New York City Facility
Wednesday, September 24, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., $32 (includes snacks)
Maximum attendance: 20; ADA acccessible; no photography.
Named for the mathematical term "googol," Google is arguably the world's most-utilized search engine, because it is fast, accurate, and easy to use. Though growing rapidly, Google still maintains a small-company feel. The architecture is unique, and the Google culture is even more unique. Googlers work in high-density clusters reflective of the company's server setup, with three or four staffers sharing spaces with couches and dogs. The Google tour will include a visit to the usability lab, where user feedback is gathered on new products. Aideen Stronge, user experience researcher at Google, will give a 30-minute presentation on the role that research and design play in the development of Google products and what it's like to work at Google.

#T4 United States Military Academy at West Point
Thursday, September 25, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., $35
Maximum attendance: 50; ADA accessible.
The United States Military Academy, located just 50 miles north of New York City, is the oldest continually operating Army post in the United States. The three-hour tour will begin at the post itself, where visitors will see some of the most historic areas around West Point both on foot and by bus. Lunch follows at Grant Hall, which offers a wide selection of food and drinks at economical prices. After lunch, visitors will be escorted by faculty to the Engineering Psychology Laboratory, located in the Behavioral Sciences and Leadership Department. The labs include engagement skill trainers, a usability laboratory, wireless eye movement analyzers, and a Command Post of the Future simulator. Visitors will also see the Department of Military Instruction's networked simulations, where up to 100 cadets can perform networked war game simulations before performing the actual maneuvers on the ground. Finally, visitors will explore the Department of Systems Engineering, which provides an immersive environment to model, simulate, and study visualization issues and human interaction within environments and to investigate system performance. Highlights of the tour will include the Information Visualization Laboratory (IVL), Combat Simulation Lab (CSL), Systems Methodology and Design Lab (SMDL), and Computer Aided Virtual Environment Lab (CAVE).

JUST ADDED!
#T5 Google New York City Facility
Tuesday, September 23, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., $32 (includes snacks)
Maximum attendance: 20; ADA acccessible; no photography.
See description for #T3 above.

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