Presenter Email
groomc@my.erau.edu, vanhob92@my.erau.edu
Location
Jim W. Henderson Administration & Welcome Center (Bldg. #602)
Start Date
8-14-2018 2:45 PM
End Date
8-14-2018 3:45 PM
Submission Type
Presentation
Keywords
occupational ergonomics, aircraft maintenance, laptops
Abstract
Digital technology is employed more and more in society for both personal and professional use. Specifically, laptops and tablets are used in diverse environments in a variety of capacities. In the aircraft maintenance environment, many instances of technical data repositories exist in paper form. Retrieval and interaction with these documents can be limiting and introduce human factors that are less than ideal for maintenance operations. The deployment of laptops can alleviate some of those strains and offer a more ergonomic solution for technical data repositories. However, despite the many benefits introduced by technology, laptops may also present ergonomic strains not ideal for all applications. This paper reviews the human factors associated with human interaction with laptops in aircraft maintenance, specifically the design and layout of the laptop itself as applied to biomechanics and occupational ergonomics. Literature review revealed that laptops present limitations and physical stresses that outweigh the benefits of speed, agility, and the accessibility of technical information.
Presenter Biography
Christopher Groom is a United States Air Force Craftsman Avionics Mechanic with 15 years of experience specializing in communication, navigation, Doppler, RADAR, and electronic warfare systems. He has held the roles of Expediter, Maintenance Operations Controller (MOC), Communication Security Officer (COMSEC), Nuclear Personal Reliability Program (NPRP), and Avionics Lead Technician for the C-17, C-5M, KC-10, and commercial airframes.
His present role is as an aircraft maintenance training and scheduling team lead (Element Chief) for a diverse shop spanning six different specialty career fields to include: Propulsion, Hydraulics, Electrical & Environmental Systems, Guidance & Control, Communication & Navigation, and Crew Chief Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC’s). His team was recently charged with the launch and recovery of Air Force One as well as the repair actions of the aircraft that directly supported the first-ever President of the United States (POTUS) nuclear summit with North Korea in Singapore.
Mr. Groom holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration specializing in Aviation (MBAA), and is currently a student in Embry-Riddle’s PhD in Aviation Program specializing in Safety and Human Factors with an expected graduation date of August 2020. He instructs aircraft Logistics Resource Management (LRM), is his squadron’s Weapons Training Qualification Manager for aircraft munitions (WTQM), and holds multiple aviation-related leadership positions in his unit.
Original PowerPoint, Full-res
Human Factors Evaluation of Laptops as a Technical Data Repository in Aircraft Maintenance
Jim W. Henderson Administration & Welcome Center (Bldg. #602)
Digital technology is employed more and more in society for both personal and professional use. Specifically, laptops and tablets are used in diverse environments in a variety of capacities. In the aircraft maintenance environment, many instances of technical data repositories exist in paper form. Retrieval and interaction with these documents can be limiting and introduce human factors that are less than ideal for maintenance operations. The deployment of laptops can alleviate some of those strains and offer a more ergonomic solution for technical data repositories. However, despite the many benefits introduced by technology, laptops may also present ergonomic strains not ideal for all applications. This paper reviews the human factors associated with human interaction with laptops in aircraft maintenance, specifically the design and layout of the laptop itself as applied to biomechanics and occupational ergonomics. Literature review revealed that laptops present limitations and physical stresses that outweigh the benefits of speed, agility, and the accessibility of technical information.
Comments
Presented during Session 6: Aviation Maintenance