Carsten Wittenberg

A requirement analysis for the use of mobile devices in service and maintenance

This paper describes the results of a use context and requirement analysis for an user interface concept mobile devices in the domain of industrial automation. As a result of this analysis, advantages for the use of mobile devices in the domain of service and maintenance were recorded. A usability test showed that a user interface on the basis of these requirements is a support for the service and maintenance personnel during their daily work.

Design and Evaluation of a Graphical User Interface Using the Virtual Process Visualization Concept

Abstract This paper presents the design and evaluation of a graphical user interface for process control of an artificial microworld. This microworld simulates a central heating system for an apartment complex. The developed user interface is based on the Virtual Process Visualization (ViProVis) method, which contains the three pillars Virtual Process Elements, Goal and State Visualization and Task-oriented Structure. In the experiments, this visualization is be compared to and evaluated against a conventional topological interface.

Analysis, Design and Evaluation of User-Centered Engineering Tools in Industrial Automation

Abstract This article describes an approach for applying usability engineering methods to the field of industrial system design. When designing the sometimes extremely complex industrial systems, engineers design the mode of operation, the construction and all the instrumentation and control aspects of a system. By employing usability engineering methods such as expert interviews, prototyping and usability-testing, a basic concept is worked out which focuses on and implements the users requirements. This concept is vitally necessary and must be used as the basis for subsequent industrial implementation. This article is the second part of the description of a SIEMENS research project. The first part was presented at the HCI in New Orleans in August 2001 (During, Komischke, Wittenberg 2001) and is continued here.

Das Konzept eines Engineering Portals zur benutzerzentrierten Unterstützung der Anlagenplanung (The Concept of an Engineering Portal for the User-Centred Plant Engineering Support)

Zusammenfassung Die Anlagenplanung ist durch eine stark verflochtene Organisations- und Informationsstruktur zwischen den vielen beteiligten Firmen geprägt. Die komplexen Beziehungen und Abhängigkeiten spiegeln sich in den wäh-rend der Projektierungsphase entstehenden Objekten und Dokumenten wieder, deren Inhalte – häufig bedingt durch die verzweigten Strukturen – vielfach redundant sind. Basis einer effizienten Projektierung muss deshalb die Informations- und Datendurchgängigkeit über den gesamten Projektierungsprozess hinweg und darüber hinaus auch in den späteren Phasen des Lebenszyklusses einer industriellen Anlage sein. In der hier vorgestellten Forschungsarbeit soll jedoch nicht versucht werden, die dafür notwendigen gewerkeübergreifenden Datenmodelle bzw. Objektstrukturen zu entwickeln, welche erst einen automatisierten und somit effizienten Datenaustausch ermöglichen. Vielmehr soll hier ein Portal-Konzept vorgestellt werden, wie ein optimiertes Informationsmanagement inklusive Datenaustausch aus der benutzerzentrierten Sicht eines Projekteurs aussehen könnte, d.h. wie Objekte, Objektzustände und Funktionen in einem Objektmanager optimal darge-stellt und genutzt werden können.

User-centred Development of an User Interface for Mobile Devices in Automation

Abstract Mobile devices become more and more powerful. But the advantages of such devices can only be used if the interface between the user and the technical functions is designed well. This paper describes the iterative and user-centered user interface development process for such a user interface for two different user groups (technician and manager) in the domain of service and maintenance in industrial automation. At the end of the iterations a usability test showed that a user interface on the basis of this concept is a useful support for the service- and maintenance personnel during their daily work.

An introduction to the virtual process visualization method for supervisory control

The increasing level of automation of production systems has lead to reduced numbers of operators and at the same time to an increase in the number of process information each operator has to supervise and control. This article presents a concept for the design of graphical user interfaces in the domain of industrial automation. The concept uses techniques known from three-dimensional computer graphics and an information structure based on the operators task to present the production systems, adapted to the human information processing. Experiments tested and evaluated the efficiency of this concept.

BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN THE HUMAN OPERATOR AND THE FAR AWAY TECHNICAL SYSTEM BY MEANS OF PICTORIAL COMPUTER GRAPHICS AND MOBILE DEVICES

Abstract This paper presents a highly pictorial and vivid concept for the visualization of dynamic information for the supervisory control of distant technical systems. Elements of technical system are modeled and presented “close to the real appearance”. System information like process values are integrated into these elements. Production goals and deviations from the goals are visualized situation-depended to assist and support the operator. Experiments in Asia and Europe showed the advantages of such a pictorial process visualization.