Why human factors science is demonstrably necessary: historical and evolutionary foundations

We review the theoretical foundation for the need for human factors science. Over the past 2.8 million years, humans and tools have co-evolved. However, in the last century, technology is introduced at a rate that exceeds human evolution. The proliferation of computers and, more recently, robots, introduces new cognitive demands, as the human...

Vulnerable road users and the coming wave of automated vehicles: Expert perspectives

Automated driving research over the past decades has mostly focused on highway environments. Recent technological developments have drawn researchers and manufacturers to look ahead at introducing automated driving in cities. The current position paper examines this challenge from the viewpoint of scientific experts. Sixteen Human Factors...

On Senders’s models of visual sampling behavior

Objective: We review the sampling models described in John Senders’s doctoral thesis on “visual sampling processes” via a ready and accessible exposition. Background: John Senders left a significant imprint on human factors/ergonomics (HF/E). Here, we focus on one preeminent aspect of his career, namely visual attention. Methods: We present,...

What do subjective workload scales really measure?: Operational and representational solutions to divergence of workload measures

We examine the continuing use of subjective workload responses to index an operator’s state, either by themselves or as part of a collective suite of measurements. Lack of convergence of subjective scales with physiological and performance-based measures calls into question whether there is any unitary workload construct that underpins...

Situation awareness based on eye movements in relation to the task environment

The topic of situation awareness has received continuing interest over the last decades. Freeze-probe methods, such as the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT), are commonly employed for measuring situation awareness. The aim of this paper was to review validity issues of the SAGAT and examine whether eye movements are a...

A Hybrid Readout Solution for GaN-Based Detectors Using CMOS Technology

Gallium nitride (GaN) and its alloys are becoming preferred materials for ultraviolet (UV) detectors due to their wide bandgap and tailorable out-of-band cutoff from 3.4 eV to 6.2 eV. GaN based avalanche photodiodes (APDs) are particularly suitable for their high photon sensitivity and quantum efficiency in the UV region and for their...

Assessing the representativeness of durability tests for wood pellets by DEM Simulation: Comparing conditions in a durability test with transfer chutes

Dust generation when handling wood pellets is related to the durability of the product, in other words the wear rate of particles subject to forces. During transport, storage and handling wood pellets undergo different forces when interacting with different pieces of equipment.<br/><br/>This paper assesses the representativeness of the tumbling...

Torrefied Biomass and its Handling Aspects – A State-of-the-art Review

Single Photon Counting UV Solar-Blind Detectors Using Silicon and III-Nitride Materials

Ultraviolet (UV) studies in astronomy, cosmology, planetary studies, biological and medical applications often require precision detection of faint objects and in many cases require photon-counting detection. We present an overview of two approaches for achieving photon counting in the UV. The first approach involves UV enhancement of photon...

On the paradoxical decrease of self-reported cognitive failures with age

The science of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HF/E) often relies on self-report. This is a cause for concern because subjective methods are inherently susceptible to bias. Here, we present, examine and discuss a puzzling association between age and self-reported cognitive failures as assessed with Broadbent's Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ...

The equipment and methods used in operating the Newport News Hydraulic Laboratory

Some aspects of seaworthiness tests