Analysis of Locomotive Engineer Workload and Comparison to Task Model Prediction
Hannah Groshong
MVL Graduate Student, Technology and Policy Program
Abstract: This presentation is a look, through a human factors lens, at automation in the freight rail domain. In a joint project with General Electric, we have worked to model the tasks of the locomotive engineer in order to generate a prediction of the engineer’s workload in various scenarios and automation modes. To validate this model, we conducted an experiment in a locomotive simulator at the Volpe Transportation Systems Center. With experimental data we hope to answer the question: Does the model of engineer tasks appropriately predict changes in the engineer’s workload with the addition of automation features?