Human-Equipment Interface
Technological transformations have brought widespread use of machines and tools to the work setting. Owing to this, such concepts as human-machine/equipment interfaces have become increasingly prominent. In its simplest form, human-machine interface (HMI) refers to the point or extent of interaction between a machine and its operator; taken literally, it is the area of the machine and that of the human that interact during the execution of a task. As the use of machines at the workplace increases, the HMI concept becomes more relevant. This is particularly because machines and equipment keep getting rather complicated and advanced, and as users make more and more use of them, the risk of error increases. In this regard, manufactures are under pressure to continually develop tools and machines that align with human anatomy, limitations, and skills to make the user-machine interface safer for users (Flasporer, et al., 2002).
Human-Equipment Interfaces in a Hospital Setting
In a hospital setting, medical practitioners interact with a wide array of medical devices -- for instance, i) they have to feed patients' health and medical records as well as prescriptions into a computer, in which case they interact directly with the screen through the eyes, and the keyboard or mouse through the hand; ii) they have to infuse patients using the infusion pump, where they use both their eyes and their hands to set the desired flow rate on the display surface; iii) they have to use oxygen machines to treat patients, and similarly have to set the flow control knob at the desired levels, and so on (Sawyer, 2014)....
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now