Ockerman, J. J., Najjar, L. J., & Thompson, J. C. (1996). Factory automation support technology (FAST). In D. Adelson & E. Domeshek (Eds.) International Conference on the Learning Sciences, 1996 (p. 567). Charlottesville, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Jennifer J. Ockerman - jojo@chmsr.isye.gatech.edu
Lawrence J. Najjar - gt4708d@prism.gatech.edu
J. Christopher Thompson - chris.thompson@gtri.gatech.edu
Georgia Institute of Technology
Multimedia in Manufacturing Education Laboratory
GTRI/EOEML/ATRP/MaRC Room 335
Atlanta, GA 30332-0823 USA
Factory Automation Support Technology (FAST) is a new project for Georgia Tech researchers. FAST is intended to: 1) train employees as they perform their jobs, rather than before they perform their jobs, and 2) meet the needs of today's mobile work force. To meet these needs, FAST combines performance support software with wearable hardware. We hope that this will decrease the amount of nonproductive training time while improving worker performance.
The goal of a performance support system is to provide employees with the right information, in the right quantity and detail, at the right time. Performance support systems allow less proficient employees to perform as more experienced employees by providing them with appropriate knowledge. A typical performance support system provides a combination of one or more of the following capabilities: reference information about a job task or closely related set of tasks; just-in-time, task-specific training; expert advice about a job task; advice on how to use the performance support system effectively; application help functions; and automated tools for task performance.
To support mobile workers in factory environments, we are designing and developing special wearable hardware. This hardware includes: a small computer that can be worn on a belt which allows for portability and transmission of data in real-time to other computer systems, a visor which is worn like safety glasses to display computer information to the user via a miniaturized CRT, earphones for listening to auditory information provided by the computer, and a microphone to allow for voice-activated, hands-free operation of the computer. This hardware enables workers to get information at the task site and, since their hands are not tied up operating the computer, to continue to perform the task as they are receiving the information. This equipment enhances the software-based performance support system by making it accessible to employees at all times. We hope that the convenience, comfort, and helpfulness of FAST will encourage employees to want to use the system.
This project addresses several research issues including: how do you combine training and performance support for both novices and experts, how do you integrate a computer tool into a non-computer task, and does combining training and performance support increase the transfer of learning from training to work? A FAST demonstration has been implemented and work on a real system for the poultry industry has begun. The project is a partnership between the Georgia Tech Research Institute and the Georgia poultry industry.
For more information about our work, please see http://mime1.marc.gatech.edu/mime/EPSS/default.htm.