Selecting Space Station Freedom Hardware

Abstract

Four types of restraint attachment hardware were evaluated using the method of paired comparisons. From these four, one restraint attachment device was chosen and the result accepted by the organizations involved. Paired comparisons provided a way of handling subjective data that produced an outcome which was objectively verifiable while, at the same time, reducing personal bias. The method of paired comparisons, as used in this trade study, is portable, accommodates groups of participants, and allows each participant's input to have equal weight. These advantages argue for using paired comparisons as a basic trade study tool in the selecting hardware, hardware configurations, and software display designs especially for developing systems.