Type: News
The division´s Design & Human Factors research is about the relationship between people and technology. The link to the transport sector, including the automotive industry, is significant just as it is for many other departments at Chalmers. Car manufacturers are involved in Chalmers, but many are also suppliers. Ulrike points out, however that more can be done for the smaller companies — a lot of focus is often placed on the large manufacturers and the smaller ones are left in the shadows.
The division participates actively in SAFER, i.e. Chalmers´ Vehicle and Traffic Safety Centre, and in various projects with focus on traffic safety, says Pontus Englebrektsson. The division is also involved in two big EU projects: European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) as well as TeleFOT. Nearly all of the European bus manufacturers are taking part in the ESBF project in order to develop an innovative bus system for the future. The purpose of the TeleFOT project, which is a substantial field test, is to test different mobile standards, for example, PDS, with functions and services like eco-driving, speed warnings and traffic information. The project will study the effects on the environment, efficiency, mobility and traffic safety but also the prerequisites for the users´ acceptance and adoption. Various suppliers of components and services are participating in this project.
The division is also highly involved in basic education at Chalmers, particularly the Masters of Engineering program Technical Design. Chalmers has offered students this course for over ten years, and not so long ago an alumni gathering was arranged where over 250 students who have studied Technical design during the years assembled. There is considerable interest at the moment in studying Technical design, which has meant that there are currently over 1 000 applicants for the 30 places available. The students who are accepted in the end are extremely ambitious and have a strong interest for design related issues. One feels a strong affiliation within the course as it deviates somewhat in its direction. After three years the students can choose to study further on a masters level in one of three areas: Product Design Engineer, Human Factors Engineering or Automotive Industrial Design Engineering. The link to the automotive industry is also reflected here.
For the department as for the educational program, people as a starting point are important. — Design is so much more than just the appearance of a product, says Ulrike, who like Pontus teaches in the program. Behind design there is considerable social involvement and an overall thought that is not always visible. Ulrike highlights this with a practical example of water cleansing system that can be used in countries where access to water is low and where hygiene is not so prevalent. In the development of the water tank the entire chain to the end user is taken into consideration — not just how the water tank should look and be used, but also how people transport water from the water tank to their homes and how one can influence sustainable behavior. It is important that the entire chain is secured so that the consumer can drink clean water when it is transported from the tank to the home and that the environment is not negatively affected as a result.
Ulrike illustrates the overall thought with the following diagram. Many times one chooses to only concentrate on functionality and appearance and ignore the fact that the user´s application and experience of the product is also important. Through its division, Design & Human Factors would like to emphasize the end user´s opinions of development work within research as well as education.
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