New England Chapter’s 2011 Annual Student Research Conference A Success!

Record attendance and a new poster session confirm the growth of the local chapter,
as the 56^th Annual Meeting of HFES is set to come to Boston one year from now.

On October 14^th, 2011, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society New England Chapter (HFES NEC) held its Annual Student Research Conference at Microsoft’s New England Research and Development (NERD) Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The conference drew over 70 human factors and ergonomics professionals, students, and faculty from local companies, agencies, and universities, such as MIT, Northeastern University, Tufts University, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and at Lowell, Harvard University, and
the University of New Hampshire. The conference provided an encouraging atmosphere for 18 graduate and undergraduate student research presentations. Due to the large number of submissions this year, a poster session was created, where six student research projects were displayed.

In addition to student presentations and posters, the conference featured a keynote address by Richard Gardner, a Technical Fellow at the Boeing Company and the lead ergonomist for Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Mr. Gardner’s presentation, titled “The Boeing 787 Dreamliner Program: A Focus on Design for Manufacturing Ergonomics,” centered on the ergonomic issues and solutions behind manufacturing large-body, twin-isle aircraft such as the 747 and the newly minted 787.

Attendees of the all-day conference mingled and discussed informally during both breakfast and lunch, which were catered for the occasion.

At the end of the conference, members of the Board of HFES NEC presented conference awards to three student projects for best overall presentation, one of which was awarded “Best Transportation Presentation” by the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center. Our sincere congratulations go to:

• HFES NEC Best Presentation Awards
• Matthieu Trudeau, “Thumb Motor Performance Varies According to
  Thumb and Wrist Posture during Single-Handed Mobile Phone Use” (Harvard
  School of Public Health)
• Stacey Cunningham, “Robotic-Assisted
  Minimally Invasive Surgery: Communication In A Complex Socio-Technical System” (Tufts
  University)
• Volpe Best Transportation Presentation Award
  • Radhameris A. Gómez, “Evaluating
    the Effect of Advance Yield Markings on Vehicle-Pedestrian Conflicts at Marked
    Mid-block Crosswalks Across Multilane Roads: A Simulator Study” (University
    of Massachusetts Amherst)

By all measures, this conference was a great success! In addition to record attendance and record submissions, the event doubled as a recruiting event for the Chapter: chapter membership was included in the conference registration fee, which will contribute to the continued growth HFES NEC has encountered in the last few years.

The Board of HFES NEC wishes to thank the sponsors of the event for their continued patronage of the conference: Microsoft, Aptima, Charles River Analytics, Volpe, and Liberty Mutual.

For more information about the HFES New England Chapter, visit our website at www.nechfes.org.

“On Saturday, November 5th, a delegation of the New England Chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (NEC HFES) visited our labs at the University of New Hampshire. First, Andrew Kun, the Project54 program director, gave an overview of the research conducted in our labs. Next, Eric Jones, Sami Durrani, Angela Garabet and David Aurelio introduced themselves and gave quick career overviews of how one becomes a human factors professional…” read more

Click here to download the agenda (pdf)

New England Chapter of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society

2011 Student Conference

Download the announcement by clicking here!

Download the call for abstracts by clicking here!

Conference Date

Friday, October 14, 2011; 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Registration Fees

Paid in cash, credit card, or check payable to HFES NEC at door. Registration fee includes membership with the HFES NEC for 2012. Continental breakfast & lunch are included.

• $10 for students
• $15 for unemployed and retirees
• $30 for employed non-students

Please register at www.eventbrite.com/event/2064150931.

Where

Microsoft New England Research and Development (NERD) Center, 1 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA. Please visit the NERD website for parking and directions.

Program

The HFES NEC is hosting a one-day conference that focuses on bringing together human factors and ergonomics professionals and students in the New England area. The conference is designed to provide time for people to share ideas in a variety of formats and to socialize with other professionals in the region. Agenda includes:

• Student Presentations (≈15 min each) representing several New England universities
• Sponsor Presentations

Keynote Address

Richard Gardner, PE, CPE, Boeing Commercial Airplanes

Richard Gardner is an Ergonomist and Technical Fellow with Boeing Research & Technology’s Assembly and Integration Technology group. Mr. Gardner supports new product development working with lifecycle product teams to integrate ergonomics requirements into airplane designs and associated manufacturing processes. He is the lead Ergonomist for the 787 program and provided shop-floor ergonomics support to the 747, 767 and 777 manufacturing lines in Everett, WA. Prior to joining Boeing, Mr. Gardner worked as a Human Factors flight test engineer at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, MD. He received his M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado. Mr. Gardner is a Licensed Professional Engineer and a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist.

Presentation Abstract

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner Program: A Focus on Design for Manufacturing Ergonomics

Early in product development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Program, company Ergonomists developed design requirements that specifically addressed ergonomics risks commonly encountered in the commercial airplane manufacturing processes. The requirements, derived from industry standards, were levied on integrated product teams and provided a springboard to interject manufacturing ergonomics criteria into design solutions early in the product lifecycle where change is more practical and feasible. This approach enabled Ergonomists and design engineers, using standard processes and tools, to optimize designs for manufacturing while the product was being developed, ensuring the physical and cognitive aspects of product assembly were factored into parts and process creation. By leveraging a requirements management infrastructure for verification and validation, this methodology proved to be both systematic and sustainable. Tangible results include intentional engineering to proactively improve the safety and efficiency of 787 manufacturing personnel. Case studies will be provided.

For information, please contact nechfes@gmail.com.

The chance of rain is just too high this evening to risk it. The Boston Interactions picnic has been re-scheduled to this Thursday. Same time & place.

Event: Boston Interactions Summer Picnic 2011
Date: Thursday, August 11, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (ET)
Location: Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA

For more information click here: Boston Interactions Summer Picnic 2011

Richard Gardner, P.E., CPE is an Ergonomist and Technical Fellow with Boeing Research & Technology’s Assembly and Integration Technology group. Mr. Gardner supports new product development working with lifecycle product teams to integrate ergonomics requirements into airplane designs and associated manufacturing processes.  He is the lead Ergonomist for the 787 program and provided shop-floor ergonomics support to the 747, 767 and 777 manufacturing lines in Everett, WA.  Prior to joining Boeing, Mr. Gardner worked as a Human Factors flight test engineer at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, MD.  He received his M.S. degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Colorado.  Mr. Gardner is a Licensed Professional Engineer and a Board Certified Professional Ergonomist.

Mr Gardner’s keynote address will highlight the role played by ergonomics in the design of Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner Program: A Focus on Design for Manufacturing Ergonomics

Early in product development of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner Program, company Ergonomists developed design requirements that specifically addressed ergonomics risks commonly encountered in the commercial airplane manufacturing processes.  The requirements, derived from industry standards, were levied on integrated product teams and provided a springboard to interject manufacturing ergonomics criteria into design solutions early in the product lifecycle where change is more practical and feasible.  This approach enabled Ergonomists and design engineers, using  standard processes and tools, to optimize designs for manufacturing while the product was being developed, ensuring the physical and cognitive aspects of product assembly were factored into parts and process creation.  By leveraging a requirements management infrastructure for verification and validation, this methodology proved to be both systematic and sustainable. Tangible results include intentional engineering to proactively improve the safety and efficiency of 787 manufacturing personnel. Case studies will be provided.

Where: Danehy Park, Cambridge, MA (see link below for directions)

When: Tuesday, August 9, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

It’s a pot-luck so please bring food to share. Make it at home or pick it up on the way! (There is a Whole Foods Market in the neighborhood.) We will provide drinks, cups, paper plates, napkins, plastic forks, knives & spoons.

Alcohol & barbecuing are not allowed in Danehy Park.

Please RSVP (not required, just to help us estimate the numbers): http://goo.gl/yXosG

Please click here to view event details and to register.

National Ergonomics Month is here again! October is designated by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) as a time to remind people – no matter where they live or work – that professionals in the field of human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) have been striving for more than five decades to improve the safety, performance, and comfort of human beings. The goal of National Ergonomics Month is to promote the science and profession of HF/E through teaching, learning, networking, service, and fun.
National Ergonomics Month is centered on grass-roots efforts by HFES members, particularly student members. HFES student chapters conduct wide-reaching HF/E awareness programs. Examples of such successful programs include ergonomics design competitions, contests to identify examples of bad design, HF/E lecture series, demonstration days, and numerous interactive presentations about the field at businesses, schools, and university campuses.
Perhaps one of the most notable recent events to demonstrate the importance of HF/E is the landing of U.S. Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger was able to safely land the aircraft after both engines were taken out by a flock of geese. He used his intimate knowledge of the technology before him in the cockpit and his own expertise to make good decisions under stressful conditions. Sullenberger, who had studied HF/E while pursuing his master’s degree and had learned about many of the factors that could be involved in such an event, was the keynote speaker at the 2010 HFES Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
Visit the National Ergonomics Month Web site (www.hfesnem.org) to find out how you can help spread the word about how HF/E makes the world a more user-friendly place. The Web site contains an archive of past events, articles related to HF/E outreach, and a list of upcoming events.