THE USE OF COMPUTERS FOR MAN-MACHINE MODELLING: STATUS AND PLANS

Abstract : Four papers, each describing a different approach to modelling man, are presented. The first paper describes an extension of the servo theoretic approach to describing the human operator as an active element of a control system. The model presented has been developed to describe and predict muscular actions. The second paper addresses the monte carlo simulation of human performance within a task and time analytic framework, and illustrates the current state-of-the-art. A third paper deals with man-computer interaction in information-processing and decision-making tasks. An attempt was made to describe such interactions in a manner that facilitates the allocation of tasks to man and the computer. The fourth paper demonstrates the feasibility of graphically portraying human biomechanical movements on an IBM graphic display console. Such techniques can simulate human movements and aid the designer in optimizing workplace geometry. Together, these papers illustrate the breadth of techniques available for modelling man in a man-machine environment.