8th IFAC/IFIP/IFORS/IEA Symposium on Analysis, Design, and Evaluation of Human-Machine Systems

September 18-20, 2001, Kassel, Germany

Human-Machine Systems (HMS) are influencing human life everywhere – at work, on the move or at home. Human-Machine Interactions (HMI) with dynamic technical processes and Human-Computer Interactions (HCI) with software applications are strongly interrelated and will both be covered in this symposium. Automatic and smart behaviors as well as knowledge access are embedded in human interfaces and in decision support systems. Human-centered designs and human-centered automation are driving forces towards realizing the symbiosis among human, society, nature, and artifact and, thus, necessary for achieving higher effiency, safety, performance, and satisfaction. A firm theoretical and practical design methodology has to be established, applicable for all human-machine (computer) systems. Technological developments will increasingly be successful, also economically, only if end-user participation and acceptance were guaranteed early on in the systems life cycle. Multi-modality and multimedia based interaction styles have to be more creative and flexible. Cross-disciplinary experience, e. g., from the entertainment sectors such as the performing arts and music, should be exploited for the industrial, transportation, home, and service domains. Cultural differences are to be considered. Humans want to be in charge, mastering computers and machines in a task-oriented way, and be encouraged to use them in a friendly environment.