SBIR-STTR Award

We propose development of the Human Systems Integration (HSI) Engineering Analysis Tool, or HEAT. HEAT provides advice for engineers using material-design software on how their design choices affect all nine HSI domains: Human factors engineering, Survivability, Manpower, Personnel, Training, Environment Safety, Occupational, and Habitability. HEAT is designed in modular fashion to integrate with the U.S. Marine Corps Framework for Assessing Cost and Technology (FACT). We apply lessons we learned from providing HSI assessment on previous vehicle projects for the Army Future Combat System, the Army Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, and the Department of Homeland Securitys redesign of the ambulance patient compartment.

Benefit:
The benefits of performing HSI assessment through the engineering lifecycle are well documented in the literature. The anticipated result of success is to significantly improve the usability level and time to achieve good usability across all HSI domains for material design software systems such as FACT. The HEAT HSI module produced will in near-real time advise designers on HSI assessment of their choices on all HSI domains, including impact on lifecycle reduces costs. HEAT also links design artifacts to HSI assessments. Therefore if a FACT user makes a design changes, it ripples to a change analysis that in turn triggers HEAT to notify the HSI user to revalidate previously identified HSI issues. HEAT is also designed to support the entire DOD 5000.2E acquisition lifecycle to help reduce lifecycle costs.

Keywords:
Training, Training, Human Systems Integration, Personnel, acquisition tool, Manpower, Model Based Systems Engineering, Human Factors Engineering

We propose to develop the Human Systems Integration (HSI) Engineering Analysis Tool, or HEAT. HEAT provides advice for engineers using material-design software on how their design choices affect HSI domains. While there are nine HSI domains: Human factors engineering, Survivability, Manpower, Personnel, Training, Environment Safety, Occupational, and Habitability that HEATs design can accommodate, we are concentrating on Human factors engineering, Survivability/Safety, and Habitability. HEAT is designed in a modular fashion to integrate with the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Framework for Assessing Cost and Technology (FACT). We will continue the work already begun to integrate with the USMC FACT system while also applying the lessons we learned from providing HSI assessment on previous vehicle projects for the Army Future Combat System, the Army Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, and the Department of Homeland Securitys redesign of the ambulance patient compartment.

Benefit:
The benefits of performing HSI assessment through the engineering lifecycle are well documented in the literature. The anticipated result of success is to significantly improve the usability level and time to achieve good usability across all HSI domains for material design software systems such as FACT. The HEAT HSI module will in near-real time advise designers on HSI assessment of their choices on HSI domains, including impact on Safety/Survivability, which could reduce injuries or save lives, while other assessments in the lifecycle could reduce costs. Another strong benefit of HEAT is its model-based approach to the HSI domain, allowing for a design that could support all nine HSI domains. HEAT also links design artifacts to HSI assessments. Therefore if a FACT user makes a design change, it ripples to a change analysis that in turn triggers HEAT to notify the HSI user to revalidate previously identified HSI issues. HEAT is also designed to support the entire DOD 5000.2E acquisition lifecycle to help reduce lifecycle costs.

Keywords:
Personnel, Training, Model Based Systems Engineering, Human Systems Integration, Human Factors Engineering, Manpower, acquisition tool