Lab Overview

The Human Factors & Ergonomics Research Laboratory (HFERL) of the Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering will be a focal point for Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics research and education at State University of New York at Binghamton. The HFERL will be used in both teaching and research related activities. In addition to conducting applied and theoretical research in the area of Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics, the major theme of the lab will be the cooperation of humans and machines in the control of complex and dynamic systems.

The lab will be equipped with both basic and advanced equipment for measuring human physical, physiological, and cognitive capabilities, as well as workplace environments. Once established, the lab will be staffed by faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, and is expected to have sponsors from various government agencies, private foundations and industry.

Mission Statement

The HFERL will be dedicated to achieving national and international recognition in conducting applied and theoretical research in the area of Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics. The major mission of the lab is to be at the forefront in promoting both theoretical and applied research in the study of human characteristics and capabilities, and with the application of this knowledge to facilitate optimum performance of systems and products, design jobs, machines, and work environments. The research conducted in this lab has a multidisciplinary nature and will focus on a variety of complex engineering domains, such as manufacturing and aviation systems, quality and process control systems, hybrid systems, and information and learning systems.

Lab Objectives

• To promote and advance the understanding of Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics in systems and product design, manufacturing and aviation systems, and the use of products and systems of all kinds
• To support instruction in both undergraduate and graduate courses in Human Factors Engineering & Ergonomics
• To conduct cutting-edge applied and theoretical research in human-machine systems, human factors and ergonomics in manufacturing and aviation systems, and modeling of human performance in complex and dynamic systems
  • Development of decision-support systems and job aiding tools
  • Mathematical and empirical modeling of human performance in complex environments
• Establish close ties between the HFERL and private companies in order to provide support for entering graduate and undergraduate students as research assistantships or fellowships.

Research Areas

One of the important aspects of Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics is its interdisciplinary nature. Therefore, the HFERL will seek collaboration and partnerships with faculty members within the SSIE Department as well as other departments, such as mechanical engineering, computer science, biomedical engineering, and psychology. Moreover, the laboratory will seek funding from a wide variety of federal and private sources to support the research activities of the lab in a various areas, such as Human Factors & Ergonomics in Manufacturing and Aviation Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, and Eye-Tracking Applications and Research. For example, the lab will seek funding from the following sources:

• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• Lockheed Martin
• National Institute of Health (NIH)

Lab Resources

The HFERL will support instruction and research in Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics for Binghamton Systems Science and Industrial Engineering students and faculty, other interested students and faculty, and working professionals with interest in this field. The HFERL will house simulated workstations, environmental, forces and strength measurement equipment, anthropometric kit, ergonomic software, high-end desktops, and a state-of-the-art eye-tracking system, in addition to other computing and media equipment.