Human Factors Research
Embry-Riddle's Department of Human Factors and Systems at the Daytona Beach Campus is committed to the ongoing development and expansion of its research programs. Current research efforts are funded by federal and state agencies, industry, and private foundations.
Human factors research instruments include the head/eye tracking apparatus being tested above.
These efforts are dedicated to improving the safety and efficiency of aviation at the state, national, and international levels. The University's combination of flight-experienced faculty and students, in combination with extensive simulator capabilities, creates one of the world's best human factors research testbeds.
Accordingly, the University has stimulated efforts to build a major human factors research capability. The University's dedicated, aviation-oriented faculty and student body, laboratories, simulators, and flight facilities provide the basic ingredients for supporting the ongoing development and expansion of human factors research.
This program has been designed to support the FAA objective of using human factors research to improve safety and efficiency throughout the national airspace system.
Human Factors department faculty Dr. Jon French and Dr. Beth Blickensderfer are members of an FAA Center of General Aviation Research (CGAR)-funded research team developing training focused on developing pilot judgment and decision-making skills in general aviation aircraft equipped with advanced cockpit displays. Aeronautical Science department team members are Professor Frank Ayers (lead), Dr. Michael Wiggins, and Professor Michele Summers. Read more about this FAA/Industry Training Standards (FITS) program.
Current and future research plans include projects focused on human-centered automation; applications of virtual reality; assessing the human role in causing and avoiding accidents; development of better methods of assessing the quality of human performance in aviation/aerospace systems; development of improved flight crew/controller communications and systems support capabilities; development of cost-effective evaluation of techniques for selection and training aviation administrative, operations, flight, and maintenance personnel; and development of standards and procedures for the validation and certification of human engineering design criteria.
The Department of Human Factors and Systems has a cadre of human factors specialists, a wide variety of training facilities capable of supporting research program objectives, and a master plan to guide the orderly development of the research programs and facilities.
The facilities include:
- Fleet of aircraft and pilots at all skill levels
- Networked air traffic control simulator
- Real-time Meteorological Lab
- Human Computer Interaction Lab
- System Engineering Lab
- Human Cognition Center
