Human Performance Research in Support of Current Military Operations

Abstract

Shoot, move, communicate, survive, and adapt are five of the most critical tasks that a Soldier will perform during combat. The extent to which Soldiers are successful at these tasks may ultimately determine not only their survivability, but also that of their unit. This panel, which is comprised of a mixture of human factors/ergonomics practitioners and researchers, discusses topic areas in which human performance issues play a critical role in current military operations. Topics include information overload in the visual channel, facial protection effects on shooting performance, video search techniques for widely defined targets, and the development of video training lanes for improvised explosive device detection. The underlying human performance issues and various approaches which have been taken to address them will be discussed. Understanding and predicting factors that influence human performance in these arenas is not only critical for the design of effective systems and programs of instruction, but also for overall mission effectiveness and Soldier survival. Panelists will discuss critical factors and insights that are generalizable across a wide range of products and industry sectors as well as those that warrant further investigation.