SBIR-STTR Award

Human Factors Evaluation Automated Tool (HFE-AT)
Award last edited on: 7/6/2020

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NASA : JSC
Total Award Amount
$699,988
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
X13.01
Principal Investigator
Terence Andre

Company Information

TiER1 Performance Solutions (AKA: Tier 1 Performance~TIER1 Government Solutions LLC)

6 East 5th Street Suite 400
Covington, KY 41011
Location: Single
Congr. District: 04
County: Kenton

Phase I

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase I year
2010
Phase I Amount
$99,988
In this proposal, TiER1 Performance Solutions and Alion Science and Technology offer to identify requirements and specifications, and implement a proof-of-concept prototype tool to support human factors evaluations. This prototype, called the Human Factors Evaluation Automated Tool (HFE-AT), will provide guidance, for non-human factors personnel, to address human factors-related aspects of the engineering design process. It will identify requirements for coordination across engineering teams to help ensure that potential human factors integration issues are identified and resolved early in the design process. HFE-AT also will indicate when more detailed human factors analyses are needed, and provide step-by-step guidance to walk users through the process of performing certain human factors analyses. It will provide a repository for the results and allow users to produce reports that help them interpret and summarize the results. In Phase I, we propose to identify the requirements for such a tool, create a plan for developing the tool, and develop a proof-of-concept prototype to demonstrate the potential for such a tool. In Phase II, we will continue the development of this tool, adding functionality and expanding the scope. We also will perform validation studies, to ensure that the tool is providing meaningful results. We will conduct usability studies, and modify the tool so that it provides an easy-to-use interface, understandable feedback, and useful results. In Phase III, we will prepare this tool for commercialization.

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase II year
2011
Phase II Amount
$600,000
Designing complex systems, such as those used by NASA, requires a coordinated effort among a variety of engineering teams. In order to be successful, the human-computer interactions in these systems need to follow a principle-based design process. In Phase II, TiER1 and Alion propose to continue development on HFE-AT, renaming it and creating a Human Factors Analysis Support Tool (H-FAST), which will provide human factors guidance and support to engineering design teams. This tool will be used throughout the design lifecycle, and will provide inputs to engineers and program managers to help them identify and avoid potential human factors problems early in the design process. It also will provide detailed guidance regarding human factors evaluations, and it will store data and provide feedback on the results of these evaluations. H-FAST will improve the engineering design process by providing engineers with easy access to detailed human factors methods, relevant research, and subject matter expert contact information. This will empower engineers to create more usable systems, thus reducing the number of design iterations and resulting in higher-quality products.