This study aimed at exploring how human centered sensing can be used to assess performance and fatigue in a control room setting. The study was performed at CIRiS' (Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Space) control center while the staff was monitoring an experiment onboard the International Space Station (ISS). We had two parallel objectives: 1) to explore the participants' use of the display screens in the new control center set-up; and 2) to identify eye-tracker markers that can signal fatigue during shift work. Six participants took part in the study, wearing eye-tracking glasses with a positioning tracking device for selected 30 minutes periods at the beginning and end of the shifts; as well as answering to fatigue and cognitive performance tasks at the beginning and end of each shift. A digit memory span task did not seem to be sensitive to the beginning/end of shift variable. Self-reported fatigue scales showed a tendency for lower scores in the beginning of the shift when compared to its end. The data from the eye-tracking analysis revealed a differential use of the control interfaces in the station at the beginning and end of shift. Regarding the fatigue levels, the eye-tracking indicators were not sensitive to any differences in the beginning/end of shift.
Micro tasks are small knowledge probes that can provide speed and accuracy data about how well a user interface (UI) supports work tasks. We present a software system that supports researchers in authoring, managing and conducting micro tasks studies. The system supports the generation of different types of micro task questions, provides tagging functionality, can exchange data with external systems such as simulators, is fully integrated with eye tracking, presents micro tasks questions to participants, allows for online observation, and stores responses in a data base.
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