Soldier Systems Technology Roadmap
Human and Systems Integration Workshop
Introduction to Workshop Themes &
Physical Ergonomics & Integration Challenges
Linda Bossi, CD, MSc
Human Systems Integration
Section
DRDC Toronto
September 21-22, 2010
Château Cartier
Gatineau, Que.
OUTLINE
• What is Human Systems Integration?
• A Model for Considering the Soldier as
a System
• Introduction to Workshop Themes
• Physical Ergonomics & Integration
Challenges
What is HSI?
Technical process of integrating 5 HSI domains
with a materiel system to ensure safe, effective
operability and supportability of the system
Human Factors: Multidisciplinary field
incorporating contributions from psychology,
engineering, human biology, industrial design,
statistics, operations research and
anthropometry.
A term that covers:
– The science of understanding the properties of
human capability (Human Factors Science)
– The application of that understanding to the
design, development and deployment of
systems, processes and work environments
(Human Factors Engineering, Ergonomics)
– The ‘science/art’ of ensuring successful
application of HFE to a program (Human Factors
Integration, Human Systems Integration)
A Simple Model for Considering the
Complex Soldier System
USER
TASK
TOOLS
ENVIRONMENT
Key Challenge – User Complexity
and Variability
Age
Military Occupation
Role (rifleman, leader)
Gender
Physical Attributes:
Size & Shape
Strength
Fitness Level
Handedness
Perceptual Capabilities:
Visual Acuity
Colour Vision
Eye Dominance
Hearing
USER
State:
Fatigue
Hydration
Motivation
Emotional
Arousal
Education
Training
Experience
Skills
Psychological/Cognitive
Capabilities:
Intellect, Cognitive Style,
Information Processing,
Decision-making
capability, Resilience, etc.
Key Challenge – Task Complexity
and Variability
USER
Type of Mission
Phase of Mission
TASK
Individual &
Team Tasks
Concurrent Tasks
Time Pressure
Threat Environment
Perceptual Tasks (observe)
Cognitive Tasks
(orient, understand, decide)
Physical Tasks (act)
Key Challenge – Equipment
Complexity and Variability
Compatibility vs
Integration,
Modularity,
Scalability,
USER
Legacy
vs
Future
TASK
Utility
Usability
Modality
Salience
Individual
Clothing & Personal
Equipment
Collective /
Team Equipment
TOOLS
Weapon,
Transport,
Communication
& Battle
Management
Systems
Noise:
Key Challenge – Environment
Complexity and Variability
Future Security
Environment
Sound Discrimination
& Localization
Speech Intelligibility
Hearing Protection
Threat
USER
Lighting:
Day/Night
Obscurants
Weather:
Cultural
TASK
TOOLS
Temperature
Humidity
Precipitation
Terrain:
Slope, Surface, Cover
Training
Organizational
ENVIRONMENT
EFFECTIVE SOLDIER SYSTEM INTEGRATION
USER
TASK
TOOLS
ENVIRONMENT
Can this soldier,
with this training,
perform this task,
to this standard,
with this equipment,
and under these
conditions?
Workshop Themes
•
•
•
•
Soldier HSI complex and multidisciplinary
Workshop participant expertise also highly
varied, crossing many domains and
communities of interest
Decision to group first break-out discussion
along a few key themes/hard problem
categories to which a range of DND/industry/
academic participants could contribute
Recognize that there is significant overlap
between these categories since we are
considering HSI
Workshop Themes
1. Physical ergonomics and physical
integration on the soldier (internal physical
integration)
2. Cognitive ‘ergonomics’ and integration with
the soldier perceptual/cognitive capabilities
(internal psychological integration)
3. System Architecture and
Integration/Operability with other Systems
and Processes (external integration)
1. Physical Ergonomics & Physical
Integration on the Soldier
(Internal Physical Integration)
• Soldier System Physical Characterization (physical
environment, behavioural task analyses, user characterisation – size,
shape, age, strength, handedness, etc)
• Soldier Burden (due to environment/exercise/work/load, physiology,
load carriage, biomechanics, thermal, noise, impact of PPE, volume/bulk,
etc)
• Fit, form, anthropometry, human machine interface
• Physical usability of soldier equipment/components
• Physical compatibility of interfaces, with and between
components of the soldier system
• Clothing, Personal Equipment, PPE, personal weapon
interface, load carriage, Display and Control hardware
design
• Tools and Processes (that help to understand and/or apply the
foregoing knowledge areas to the design/acquisition of the physical soldier
system, or that help select/train soldiers to improve their op readiness)
2. Cognitive ‘Ergonomics’ & integration with
the soldier psychological capabilities
(Internal Psychological Integration)
• Soldier System Characterization (user perceptual capabilities –
vision, hearing; cognitive style, characteristics, intelligence, etc)
• Effect of stressors on perception/cognition
• Socio/Psychological Readiness
• Information overload, situation awareness, common
operational picture, decision aids
• Devices to enhance or augment soldier perception,
understanding and decision-making (e.g., sensors, NVGs,
digital maps, blue force tracking, decision aids, Combat ID, augmented
cognition, intelligent adaptive interfaces, etc)
• Display GUI and content (imagery, information)
• Cognitive Psychology, Engineering Psychology, Human
Computer Interaction, usability engineering
• Tools & Processes (that help us understand and apply knowledge of
soldier perceptual/cognitive capabilities in soldier system integration or that
help to train/select soldiers to improve their operational readiness)
3. System Architecture and Integration/
Interoperability with other Systems
(External Integration)
• Integration/ Interoperability with other Platforms and Systems
–
–
–
–
Weapon systems (Personal & Crew-Served)
Vehicles & transport platforms
C4I Systems
Autonomous Sensors/Vehicles (UXVs)
• System Architecture
–
–
–
–
Modularity/Configurability
Adaptability
Scalability
Hardware integration/optimization
• Integration with Processes
– HSI within Systems Engineering process, within DND acquisition, etc
– Tools that facilitate more effective HSI
• Comprehensive Approach, System of systems
Physical Ergonomics and Physical
Integration Challenges
•
•
•
•
Soldier variability (physical characteristics)
Soldier load
Trade-offs between protection & mobility
Compatibility between soldier system
components
Anthropometric
Characterization
• 1996 Clothed Anthropometry
survey
• 1997 Survey of the Land Forces
• Additional surveys relevant to
specific development efforts
• Development & application of 2D
& 3D anthropometry to better
characterize shape variability
• 3D anthro modelling tools
• Ongoing collection of data using
whole body scanning system
(BoSS)
• Current efforts underway to
update soldier anthro data (nude
and clothed)
BoSS
Shape Variability
(both soldiers have same head breadth)
5th and 95th percentile male
For head breadth
Anthropometric Variability
For Head Breadth
One size does not fit all!
Percentiles vs Population accommodation
For a given male head breadth (153mm)
Head length ranges more than 30 mm (183 to 215 mm)
Key Challenge – Soldier Load
• Based on several key studies, NATO recommends that
the maximum load that soldiers should carry for
extended periods is 32% of body weight (26.2 kg for 82
kg soldier)
• Yet our soldiers in
current operations are
carrying (often by choice)
significantly heavier
loads
–
–
–
–
Extra ammunition
Extra water
Spare batteries
Added protection to counter
new threats
• Perception & acceptance of load by soldiers is complex
• Critical to acceptance of load is:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Absolute weight
Weight distribution/ balance
Design of interface
Presence of other environmental stressors
Perception of risk
Value of the payload to the user
• Makes specification of soldier equipment weight
problematic (very context dependent)
• Points to the need to be user-centered
– involve representative users, doing representative tasks under
realistic conditions as part of system definition, design &
selection process
How to Address Soldier Load
• Understand what soldiers are
carrying and why
• Understand and model the
physiological, biomechanical,
task performance implications
of loads and load carriage
designs
• Understand and model
mobility/vulnerability
implications of the range of
loads carried
• Share this knowledge/models
with all stakeholders (DND &
industry)
• Example studies to model/determine weight
limits/balance optimization for specific
equipment (e.g., head-supported mass, assault rifle mass
properties)
Z-Axis Torque
-7cm
CM of
Rifle
(X=0)
+7cm
+ 1.5, 3.0, 4.5 kg mass
at 3 CoM locations
+ 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 kg mass at user’s
preferred centre of mass
T12
L4
Swedish Study (Daniellson 2006)
• Require that new equipment incrementally contribute to
reduced soldier load
– Use of novel materials (e.g., caseless ammunition)
– Or design approaches (e.g., integration, modularity)
Eg. Scalable head protection
• Consider comprehensive approach vice just equipment
or technical solutions
– Deal with soldier perception of risk (provide SA tools to give
soldier ensure reliable resupply)
– Address reliability of resupply/sustainment system
– Select bigger stronger soldiers?
– Physical training of soldiers?
Physical Compatibility
• Studies of Compatibility between
PPE & weapon
• Viability of alternative options for
effective integration of increase
face/neck/nape protection with
weapon butt stocks & sights
QUESTIONS ?