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Human-Machine Systems
A system could be defined with
mathematical symbols and set theory.
A Human-Machine System could be
defined verbally as an arrangement of
people and machines (or physical
components) interacting within an
environment in order to achieve a set of
system goals.
Examples of Human-Machine Systems
include a person with a hammer, an office
machine with its operator, oil refineries,
hospitals, a rescue operation of a crashed
airplane.
The task of a human factors specialist is to
optimize the interaction between people and
machine elements of the system while
taking the environment into account
An example of an interaction between a
person and a machine is shown in figure
1.1(p15)

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Systems are generally classified into three
main classes:
1. Manual Systems: Consisting of hand
tools and other aids coupled by a human
operator who controls the operation. The
source of power is human physical energy.
2.Mechanical Systems (Semiautomatic):
Consisting of integrated physical parts (such
as powered machine tools). The function is
performed with little variation and the power
is provided by the machine. The user
usually manipulates the control devices.
3.Automated Systems: All operational
functions are performed with little or no
human intervention (such as robots). But
are they Human-Machine Systems?
All automated systems require humans to
install, program, reprogram, and maintain.
Hence, Automated systems must be
designed with the same attention paid to
manual or mechanical systems.




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Characteristics of Systems:
1. Systems Are Purposive: A system
has a purpose. The purpose of the
system is the system goal or objective.
A system could have more than one
objective.
2. Systems Can Be Hierarchical: A
system may be composed of a number
of subsystems. System boundary and
resolution limit must be set.
3. Systems Operate in an Environment:
The system environment is every thing
outside its boundaries. It could range
from immediate environment (such as a
chair) through intermediate (such as an
office) to general (such as a city).
4. Components Serve Functions: Each
component serves at least one function
that is related to achieving the system
goal. There are four basic functions:
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A.Sensing (information receiving).
B.Information Storage.
C.Information Processing and Decision.
D.Action Functions (Physical control action or
process and communication action).
Figure1.2 page17
5.Components Interact: components work
together to achieve a system goal. Each
component has an effect on other
components.
6.Systems, Subsystems, and
Components Have Inputs and Outputs:
The outputs of one system or component
are the inputs to another. A system receives
inputs from the environment and makes
outputs to the environment. Inputs and
outputs could be physical entities (such as
materials), electric impulses, mechanical
forces, or information.



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Closed-loop or open-loop systems?
A closed-loop system is continuous
performing a process requiring continuous
control and a continuous feedback
(providing information about errors) for its
successful operation.
An open-loop system, when activated,
needs no further control or cannot be further
controlled. Feedback can improve future
operations of such a system.

System Reliability:
Reliability is usually expressed as the
probability of successful performance. It
could be also measured by the mean time
to failure (MTF) which relates to the amount
of time a system or individual performs
successfully either until or between failures.

Components in series? The successful
performance of the system depends on the
successful performance of each component.
Components in parallel? The system will
fail if all components fail