Requirements Analysis and a Design of Computational Environment for HSE (Human-Sensibility Ergonomics) Simulator

Abstract

Human-Sensibility Ergonomics (HSE) is to apprehend human sensitivity features by measuring human senses and developing index tables related to psychology and physiology. One of the main purposes of HSE may be developing human-centered goods, environment and relevant technologies for an improved life quality. In order to achieve the goal, a test bed or a simulator can be a useful tool in controlling and monitoring a physical environment at will. This paper deals with requirements, design concepts, and specifications of the computing environment for the HSE, which is a part of HSE Technology Development Program sponsored by Korean Ministry of Science and Technology. The integrated computing system is composed of real-time and non-real-time environments. The non-real-time development environment comprises several PC’s with Windows NT and their graphical user interfaces coded in Microsoft’s Visual C++. Each PC independently controls and monitors a thermal or a light or an audio or a video environment. Each of software and database, developed in the non-real-time environment, is directly ported to the real-time environment through a local-area network. Then the real-time computing system, based on the cPCI bus, controls the integrated HSE environment and collects necessary information. The cPCI computing system is composed of a Pentium CPU board and dedicated I/O boards, whose quantities are determined with expandability considered. The integrated computing environment of the HSE simulator guarantees real-time capability, stability and expandability of the hardware, and to maximize portability, compatibility, maintainability of its software.