VisionandVisualSearch

Whyisunderstandingvisualsearch
performanceitimportant?

Designing:
Inspectionforqualityassurance
Inspectionformaintenance
Inspectionforsafety
Inspection,inspection,inspectionand
Humanenvironmentinteraction
Humanproductinteraction

PoorLighting
Canresultineyefatigue
Lowlightlevels
Glare

Impairstasksthat
requirevision
Inspection
Quality
Service

VisualSearchandDetection
ThegoaloftheHFEengineerisusuallyto
maximizeaccuracy,minimizesearchtimes,
andminimizeeffort
Sometimestheseoccurtogetherand
sometimesdonot
Differentfactorsaffecteachdifferently

VisualSearch&Detection
Search

EyeMovementsthroughthevisualfield(various
strategies)

Detection
Targetsandnontargets(noise)

FindtheLetterV
Raiseyourhandwhenyoudo!

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SearchStrategies
SerialSearchModel
Targets&Nontargets
Itemsinspectedserially(oneatatime)to
determinetarget/nontarget
Searchpatternsaffectedbyorganizationofspace
(e.g.,leftright/topdowniforganized;more
randomandlessexhaustiveifnopattern)
Fortargetsthatarenotreadilyvisible,theincrease
inp(detect)diminisheswithtime

VisualSearch&Detection
Influences
expectancywhereatargetmightbe
usetostructuredisplaysoknowwheretostartthe
visualsearch

conspicuityleadstoitsdetection(popsout)
offieldsearchiseffectivelyparallel,orallat
onceratherthanserial
goodifpopoutisdesirable,butwilldistractifnota
target

Detection
Oncepossibletargethasbeendetected
throughsearch,mustdecideifitisinfacta
target
Canusemodelsofsignaldetection

Signal Detection Theory

Model of how humans separate
noise = all stimuli, whether relevant or not from
signal = the relevant, important information
To make decisions about, e.g.,
Part defect vs. not
Which icon to click on

Applications of Signal Detection

Theory to Inspection
Collect observation (through sensory systems),
then determine if there is enough evidence to
constitute a signal
Crack is large enough
Region on X-ray is cloudy enough
Fever is high enough (here, not necessarily through
senses, but could be)

Signal Detection Theory

OperatorBehavior

StateoftheWorld
Signal
Noise
Say
Signal

Hit

False Alarm

Say
Noise

Miss

Correct
Rejection

Type 2
Error

Type 1
Error

SignalDetectionTheory
Sensitivity(d)howgoodanoperatorisat
tellingsignalfromnoise
BottomUpInfluencers:anbeinfluencedby
signaltonoiseratio,redundancyofsignal,etc.
TopDownInfluencerspersonal
characteristics
Thesecanbeinfluencedbyanumberofthings
E.g.,payoffs,incentives,experience,

Case Study
Manufacturing Plant for a Pharmaceutical Company
Visual Inspection Task to identify defective pills (color an
important cue)
Output (before intervention): 140 ppm
Common Problems:
Fatigue
High Turnover
Wastage High (false alarms)

Management willing to look at a new manufacturing process

Goals: More output, less personnel cost, reduce wastage

How can information about visual search abilities and Signal

Detection Theory help?

Task: To inspect pill color

Manufacturing Process:
Batches (14 parts/batch) on a
Conveyor

Visual Search and Inspection

Fast-paced
Uncertainty of pill in terms of color
Variability in response (accept or reject)
Rules help, but do NOT relax judgment and have costs
associated with time!

Visual Rules (posted in front of the inspector)

Not Ideal

Ideal

Not Ideal

Suggestedinspectiontime:3sec/batch=.214secper
pill

Additional Suggestions: filtering

Additional Suggestions: separate into rows

ow
Fl
ed
pt
rru
te ncy
t in ta
no pec
ex
=

Reduced Information

HF/E Intervention:
1. Optimal presentation of material
2. Fast rate of parts (< 70%)
3. Saved 1.5 million/quarter
- reduced material wastage
- increased output
- reduced fatigue & MSD