Human Factors in the Digital World
Digital technologies are changing the way we work, and the way we apply Ergonomics and Human Factors (E/HF). This talk will consider the theoretical and practical impact of novel technologies on the way in which people conduct tasks and jobs in contexts such as transport, healthcare and manufacturing.
The first trend considered is the increasing impact of automation in the workplace. E/HF specialist have studied automation for several decades, and traditional theories or models of automation consider ‘levels’ and identify the roles of the technology and the human in data acquisition and analysis, decision making and control. New technologies facilitate the move from automation to autonomy; it is therefore useful to consider how these changes in technology map on to our current theoretical approaches to automation, and how autonomous systems might be integrated with human roles in the future workplace.
A second trend is the impact that digital, personal technologies are having on the way that we work. The notion of the ‘workplace’ as a fixed desk with a personal computer is no longer the norm, and the proliferation of devices, as well as external societal and business influences are changing the way in which individuals complete their jobs. These changes are presenting opportunities and challenges and the key E/HF issues that emerge from these changes will be considered.
In addition to the impact that technologies are having on the way we work, technologies also offer potential to change the way we collect and analyse data as E/HF practitioners. New, less intrusive, sensor technologies offer the potential to monitor workplace performance in real time, and individuals are continually contributing to their ‘contextual digital footprint’. This talk will present some examples of these new opportunities for collecting and analysing E/HF data, and consider the practical and ethical challenges that these changes in practice potentially present.
Ultimately, the digital world is changing the way we work, and the way that we can apply E/HF theories and methods. By understanding these changes, and addressing some of the challenges to our knowledge and practice that these changes present, we can continue to develop novel E/HF theories, and provide leadership in the design of future workplaces.
Sarah Sharples is Professor of Human Factors at the University of Nottingham, and President of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors. She works on projects in the transport, healthcare and manufacturing sector. She is a Non-Executive Director of the Transport Systems Catapult and on the Strategic Advisory Network for the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. She has supervised over 20 PhD students, and published over 50 peer reviewed journal papers. She is co-editor of the 4th edition of the E/HF text ‘Evaluation of Human Work’.
Email s.wissing@imperial.ac.uk to reserve a place.