Human Performance and UX Innovations

SIFT researchers have developed novel tools to improve information flow between the system and the user, utilizing more than 20 years of experience in UI design and management. We have employed various techniques including designing adaptable interfaces, using ecological design techniques to improve the user’s situational awareness, and constructing computational reasoning approaches to UI design.

SIFT’s work in automated interface evaluation tools has collectively evolved, evaluated and demonstrated a representation and reasoning approach with more power and a far greater pedigree than most. Our approach in this field offers a rich description of the information needs of user tasks, of the information provided by displays and, through computational reasoning over these descriptions, the ability to quantify when, how and to what degree UI meets the needs of users. Much, but not all, of our work in computational reasoning approaches has been done for military aircraft, including the U.S. Army’s Rotorcraft Pilot’s Associate (RPA). In RPA, we demonstrated one of the few automated interface reasoning systems yet to operate and provide benefit in a live flight test vehicle. We have also applied these techniques to displays for military command and control, oil refinery operations, automobile and truck driving, building security and comfort management and coordinated aiding and monitoring devices for home care for the elderly.