Not Available

Not Available A great deal of research has been done to study the limits of human performance under sleep deprivation and experts can advise on how to best utilize crew members to avoid the disruptions of day-night rhythms and fatigue. Unfortunately, there is currently no system that permits the military planner to automatically consider the lessons of sleep and performance research when planning flight operations. This proposal describes the development of a computerized, user-friendly decision aid that can assist operational planners in scheduling work and rest to avoid or minimize the effects of fatigue on human performance. The project starts with a highly researched and recognized model of human sleep and performance. It then extends it, based on recent findings giving at user-centered GUI interface. With this computerized system, optimal performance can be arranged at critical times and degradations can be avoided, scheduled at times of minimal workload, or at times when they would potentially have a least impact on mission success. This product will be useful to planners and schedulers in the commercial sector who have workers preparing for tasks requiring humans operating at their highest performance levels in aviation, nuclear power plants, at night or in time shifted oipeations.