Overview

The CMC Electronics Inc. (CMC) Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Team comprises professional engineers and support personnel dedicated to improve mission and cost effectiveness of any human-machine system, from the conceptual phase through to in-service operation and beyond. The CMC HFE Team has a broad range of experience and considerable expertise in systems engineering, as defined by Military Specification MIL-HDBK-46855 (Human Engineering Requirements for Military Systems, Equipment and Facilities) and DOD-HDBK-763 (Human Engineering Procedures Guide). The CMC HFE Team engages matrix support from a highly competent and proficient on-site team of hardware and software engineers, IT and computer specialists, and other technical and administrative support staff – all bolstered by a robust company infrastructure.

Additionally, the CMC HFE Team utilizes Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assist in its identification, validation and prioritisation of customer requirements, including detailed analyses of operations, communications, equipment, doctrine and infrastructure. Finally, the CMC HFE Team maintains close ties with academia and regularly employs the professional services of Carleton University’s Centre for Applied Cognitive Research.

Human Factors Engineering (HFE) processes and toolsets provide a quick, reliable and inexpensive method of assessing proposed modifications to deficient systems or to equipment suites newly introduced to replace obsolete or unsupportable equipment. These steps comprise a prime risk-reduction activity in any equipment acquisition process aimed at replacing or enhancing operational capability, and improving human performance. HFE ensures that operators will be able to accommodate, adapt to and interface with a complex suite of new equipment, such that role performance and mission effectiveness may be truly enhanced, and at an affordable cost. The net effect is one of maximising overall system effectiveness within the constraints imposed by human, technological and/or cost considerations.

The CMC HFE Team possesses strong experience, knowledge, expertise and skill sets in HFE analyses, tools and the use of modelling and simulation capabilities. It also has matching capability, experience and knowledge of complex avionics systems engineering and integration, and of airworthiness issues and certification. In summary, the CMC HFE Team is widely respected with a recognized reputation and proven competence in employing HFE-based analyses, and modelling and simulation processes, to reduce risk in acquisition programs aimed at replacing or enhancing system and operator capabilities.

Capabilities

The CMC Electronics Inc. (CMC) Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Team uses a structured systems engineering approach, as defined by numerous publications and the application of the Military and Commercial Specifications, Standards, Agreements and Handbooks related to conceptual phase analysis and operator interface assessment and design, to develop, model and prototype systems optimized for the human operator. The CMC HFE Team has extensive HFE experience in:

System Baselining

• Mission Requirements
• Task Inventory and identification of Critical Tasks
• Function Allocation and Associated Constraints
• Information Flow and Decisional/Cognitive Requirements
• Measures of Performance / Measures of Effectiveness
• Supervisory and Crew Resource Management Requirements

Conceptual Phase Analysis

• Mission Function and Task / Hierarchical Goal Analysis
• Task Allocation
• Workload Analysis (Cognitive, Perceptual and Physical)

Workspace Analysis, Modelling and Design

• Anthropometric Assessments of Proposed Modifications
• Operator Crewstation Modelling and Design
• Cockpit & Tactical Compartment Model Development & Display Analyses
• Rapid Prototyping of Cockpits and Workstations

Operator Machine Interface (OMI) Design, Development and Assessment

• Requirements definition and human factors specification
• Display Format Specification
• Sonic Digitization & Voice Recognition
• Design and Development with User Input
• Rapid Prototyping
• Experimental Design and Objective Usability Studies

Modelling and Simulation

• Rapid Prototyping for Acquisition, Rehearsal & Training
• Creation and customization of Synthetic Environments
• Distributed Simulation & High Level Architecture

Human Engineering Tools Development

• Human Engineering Analysis Requirements Tools (HEART)
• Systems Operator Loading Evaluation (SOLE)
• Integrated Performance Modelling Environment (IPME)
• Perceptual Control Theory (PCT)

Human Factors in Support of System Engineering

• Human Factors Engineering Test and Evaluation
• Statistical Analysis
• Configuration Management
• Risk Assessment
• Analyses in Support of Aircraft Acquisition and upgrade
• Human Factors Engineering for Airworthiness Certification
• Equipment Configuration Trade-off Analyses
• Operational Requirements Definition
• Operator Performance Prediction

Team Experience

Since 1985, CMC Electronics Inc. (CMC) has assembled a stable, multi-disciplinary Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Team, with considerable overlapping and complementary experience and expertise. The CMC HFE Team has performed HFE services for a significant number of clients and has implemented many complex and multi-faceted programs. The CMC HFE Team has played an active role in the design, implementation and practical application of leading-edge HFE tools; conducted key HFE Research and Development (R&D); conducted concept studies and requirements definition activities; and, designed and implemented operator interfaces, fully validated through experimental design and documented test and evaluation.

Additionally, the CMC HFE Team has performed HFE assessments and conducted HFE certification of in-service equipment, significant equipment upgrades and new systems. CMC retains Transport Canada Delegated Engineer (DE) and Design Approval Organization (DAO) status, allowing the Company to make its own findings of compliance and airworthiness for aerospace products.

From its inception, the CMC HFE Team has adopted or adapted new technologies to conduct increasingly complex HFE analyses; to design, develop, test and evaluate operator interfaces for emerging systems; to conduct options analysis and rapid prototyping in the acquisition process; and, to verify system performance in interactive synthetic environments representative of the clients’ operations. These efforts have resulted in the development of a world-class Canadian HFE capability at CMC. Most importantly, the CMC HFE Team has consistently improved human performance, maximized system effectiveness and reduced costs and risk to its clients.

On-going projects continue to challenge and inspire the CMC HFE Team, and it continues to use HFE processes, practices, tools, and facilities to ensure valid human-system interface and integration to deliver extraordinary results at an affordable cost.

Team References & Standards

The CMC Electronics (CMC) Human Factors Engineering (HFE) Team’s HFE toolset includes a Design Reference System (DRS), providing access to on-line Commercial and Military Interface and Human Factors Standards, and includes a full document browse and search capability.

The CMC HFE Team is experienced with the numerous publications and the application of Military and Commercial Specifications, Standards, Agreements and Handbooks related to conceptual phase analysis and operator interface assessment and design. The CMC HFE Team maintains an extensive HFE library at the Ottawa facility staffed with a full time librarian. Finally, The CMC Electronics Inc. (CMC) Quality Management System is registered to ISO 9001 standards.