The Human-Systems Engineering Laboratory (HSEL) is located in the Reed Labs engineering building on the University of Florida (UF) main campus and is part of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE). The Laboratory is approximately 2400 sq. ft. and houses the following major capabilities and facilities:
University of Florida Advanced Driving Simulator Facility (UFADS)
The University of Florida Advanced Driving Simulator is a high-fidelity full-motion driving simulator located in the Human Systems Engineering Lab in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. The driving simulator allows for the presentation of a 360-degree field of view through 8 large LED panels, providing an immersive and realistic visual driving environment. The full motion capabilities of the simulator are facilitated through a 6-degree-of-freedom motion base providing motion and acceleration cues that can help reduce simulator sickness and allow for a more realistic driving experience. A vehicle cab (a quarter-cab setup) with realistic force feedback steering, a completely customizable LCD instrument panel, accelerator, brake, gearshift, signaling controls, and customizable buttons on the steering wheel and dashboard allows drivers to operate the simulated vehicle. The simulation is controlled through a
control station located next to the motion base, which allows experimenters to monitor the status of the experiment and participants through digital displays of vehicle parameters, the simulated driving environment, videos of the participant, and voice communication. The UFADS is also equipped with several driver state sensors, including eye-trackers and other psychological sensors to help monitor driving visual attention and workload. The UFADS is also capable of supporting several Advanced Driving Assistance Systems, including adaptive cruise control, lane keeping, emergency braking, as well as partial, conditional, and fully automated driving. The UFADS facility is available for UF and external research. Please contact the department for more information.
The UFADS accounts for approximately 750 sq. ft. of the HSEL and is equipped with the following major research instrumentation:
- A 6-degree-of-freedom high-fidelity Driving Simulator with a 360-degree field of view.
Motion Analysis and Activity Recognition Facility (MAARF)
The MAARF accounts for approximately 1150 sq. ft. of the HSEL and is equipped with a broad range of human performance research instrumentation, including:
- IMU-based Motion Capture Systems
- A Camera-based Motion Capture System
- Electromyography (EMG) Systems
- Smart Wearable Shirts
Safety-Critical System User Experience Facility (SCSUE)
The SCSUE accounts for approximately 500 sq. ft. of the HSEL and is equipped with the following major research instrumentation:
- High-performance Usability Analysis Stations
- Eye-tracking Systems (screen-based and wearable)
- Video and Audio Capture Equipment
Human-Robot Interaction Facility (HRIF)
The HRIF is a new laboratory facility for the Department with approximately 700 sq. ft. of space. Half the space is an experimental test cell for assessing human responses to work and interaction with various fixed-based manipulator systems and humanoid robots in multiple applications. The remaining space is used for prototype development by UF ISE graduate students. The lab is equipped with the following major research instrumentation:
- Two Fetch mobile robots
- One Universal UR5 collaborative robot
- One SoftBank Pepper service robot
- A variety of end-effectors
Field Observation & Measurement Equipment Repository (FOMER)
The FOMER is a cache of contemporary, high-value research instrumentation for human-systems design studies. The equipment can be used in all of the above laboratory spaces or checked out by students at remote study sites. The current set of instrumentation includes the following:
- B-Alert x24 electro-encephalogram system
- DELSYS Trigno Electromyography (EMG) System
- Mobile video and audio camera monitoring systems (Action cameras, 360 cameras, microphones)