Research and support facilities available to students in the program: Ben Niebel Work Design Lab: computers, energy expenditure measurement equipment, strength testers, electromyographic equipment, bicycle and other ergometers, sound/hearing analysis equipment, light/vision analysis equipment, eye-tracking system, motion analysis system, video capture and digitizing equipment. Additional facilities include extensive arrays of robotics, machining equipment, workstations, quality control, and virtual reality hardware. Center for Cumulative Trauma Disorders, Noll Human Performance Lab: environmental heat/cold stress chambers. Center for Locomotion Studies: large array of locomotion research equipment. Pennsylvania Transportation Institute: Mack/Renault truck simulator, 5,000 ft. oval test track, crash impact tester. School for Information Science and Technology: software usability labs. Interdisciplinary projects have been conducted using the facilities and resources of the Psychology, Mechanical Engineering, Gerontology, Physiology, and Kinesiology Departments.
Human Performance Assessment and Modeling Laboratory (HPAM): With six Intel Pentium 4-class workstations and 20 PCs, this lab focuses on the understanding of operator constraints, abilities, and goals in the context of dynamic task environments and the design of systems to facilitate multi-modal man-machine interactions. Research within HPAM forms a mutually-supporting triad with human-in-the-loop simulations informing the development of inductive learning models to test hypotheses grounded in cognitive science.
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Current research activities and projects being carried out by program faculty and/or students:
Models to predict CTD risk for jobs; strain-gauge and FSR instrumented glove to measure job stressors; cadaver hand studies to validate biomechanical hand models; development of improved and innovative telerobotic and virtual reality interfaces; analysis of system complexity and its impacts on technology development and strategy, product/process interactions, and human/technical interfaces; technology forecasting and decision making under uncertainty; supply chain integration, S-curve modeling, and information technology-assisted advanced Web search methods; analysis and modeling of skilled human performance in complex systems and environments; human-environment interactions in cognitively demanding tasks using inductive inference methods, acquisition of complex cognitive skills, development of adaptive interface technologies, applications to human-computer interfaces, medical product design, consumer products, and air traffic control; improving the health and well-being of individuals.
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