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Implications of Technological Changes in Vehicle Routing Interfaces for Planners' Constraint Processing
Author(s) -
Cegarra Julien,
Gacias Bernat,
Lopez Pierre
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
human factors and ergonomics in manufacturing and service industries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.408
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1520-6564
pISSN - 1090-8471
DOI - 10.1002/hfm.20367
Subject(s) - workload , automation , routing (electronic design automation) , vehicle routing problem , constraint (computer aided design) , interface (matter) , computer science , information processing , perception , operations research , human–computer interaction , simulation , engineering , embedded system , psychology , mechanical engineering , bubble , maximum bubble pressure method , neuroscience , parallel computing , operating system
This study sought to assess the consequences of technological changes in vehicle routing interfaces for planners' constraint processing during route selection. An experiment featuring vehicle routing problems was designed to test interfaces reflecting technological changes, including automation leading to simplified interfaces and the display of multiple routes computed by algorithms. Twelve participants who had worked for a small transport company for 9 months were exposed to all these interfaces. Mental workload, performance, and decision‐making times were measured. Results revealed that automation decreases mental workload and decision times, attributable to the abridged (vs. unabridged) display of constraints on the interface. Results also showed that the perceptual (vs. analytical) display of routes greatly decreases decision times and enhances performances. Results are finally discussed in terms of information reliance, automation accuracy, and graphical forms tailored to meet genuine support needs. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.