Rapid Prototyping for User- Friendly and Useful Human- Machine Interfaces

Raytheon Australia is currently engaged in developing a system user interface rapid prototyping environment in the form of a Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Laboratory. This paper will explore the process and tools that Raytheon are using to this end and how they have been applied to projects to date. The HCI Lab provides a mechanism whereby the display subsystem of any new or existing system may be specified or re-specified in an efficient manner, maximising customer input and minimising risk. The approach of the HCI Lab aims to maximise flexibility so that it can efficiently and rapidly specify HCI's for systems ranging from small scale applications to complex military platforms and/or simulators. The key to this flexibility is a focus on the high level HCI Lab process, requiring a tailored approach for each task the HCI Lab undertakes. The rapid prototyping approach is dependent upon the scale and nature of the display system and could simply revolve around a throw-away software mockup or include a demonstration suite that is capable of generating software code to be deployed on the actual platform system. User comment is captured at HCI workshops where prototype displays are demonstrated and comments elicited. All feedback is itemised and kept in a tracking database providing a trace to comments addressed through progressive prototypes. Customer representatives are present at workshops and are empowered to approve prototypes demonstrated. The focus of the workshops is on maximising the usability as well as the utility of Human-Machine interfaces. It has been found that this process provides rapid convergence to user community requirements. Raytheon are currently engaged in using this process for the Collins Class Combat System Simulator display subsystem to enable software changes within customer management requirements, resource and time constraints.