Effective design supports operator attention demands

Effective design matches product features with user needs. Attentional demands on operators require products that make important information easy to locate and recognize. Recent cab designs have  integrated multiple electronic information systems and controls into a single workstation. The controls and displays look similar to “glass cockpit” designs in current airliners. Like airliners, display and control integration assigns different kinds of information in the best position for the operator to find and use it, and minimizes conflicts and distractions. 

The Chinese High Speed Rail (HSR) network is the most heavily travelled in the world. Bullet trains travel at speeds of up to 240 mph. While the bullet train is one of many train types, they offer a good example of attention that has been paid to engineer workstation design. Care invested in workstation design supports operator needs to pay close attention to a complex set of tasks.  

Japanese bullet train (shinkansen) is an example of a system designed with HSI in mind

High speed train facilities and traffic control systems in Japan are designed with human use in mind. System elements are constantly evaluated to prevent and reduce human errors and technical difficulties, and strengthen procedures for safe operations.