Center for Human Factors Research and System Applications
Confidential Close Call Reporting System
The Confidential Close Call Reporting System (C3RS) is a systems-based approach that represents a cooperative effort between the railroad industry management, labor and the FRA to identify system vulnerabilities through employees' confidentially reporting close call events.
Support to Simulation Research
The Volpe Center assists NHTSA with planning and risk-reduction for challenging vehicle simulation or test track studies. Advancing the state of the art, we study the detection and mitigation of impaired driving as well as develop metrics for the evaluation of advanced crash warning systems.
Human Factors Support for ADS-B
Experts at the Volpe Center are studying the human factors issues related to the use of cockpit displays of traffic information (CDTI). The results of our study provide the industry and the FAA with vital safety standards.
NextGen Data Comm: Text and Synthetic Speech
In support of the Federal Aviation Administration and in collaboration with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Volpe Center is supporting the safe transition of aviation's current voice communications to NextGen Data Communications.
Clear Signal for Action
The Volpe Center takes an active role in assisting the FRA in continuously improving its organizational safety culture through Clear Signal for Action, a program that has helped reduce injuries by 80%, locomotive engineer decertifications by 70%, derailments by 70%, and significantly improved labor-management relations.
What We Do
The Center for Human Factors Research and System Applications provides internationally-recognized human factors research, engineering, development and evaluation capabilities supporting all modes of transportation within a human systems integration framework. We pioneer new relationships between humans and policies, processes, automation and technologies to improve transportation safety, security and productivity with due concern for unintended consequence.
Featured Work
Capabilities
- Human Perception & Performance
- Automation
- Simulation in Training
- Design & Technology Evaluation
- Fatigue Assessment
- Safety Data & Management
- Organizational Safety Culture
- User Acceptance
- Experimental Design & Analysis
- Field Data Collection
Key Official
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Dr. Stephen Popkin |
| Dr. Stephen Popkin is an industrial/organization psychologist with over 22 years specializing in human factors and operator fatigue. He is responsible for managing the human factors office as well as leading several national and international professional committees, and leads the DOT Safety Council implementation. More >> | |
Surface Transportation and Aviation Human Factors |
PublicationsIncludes research papers, white papers, presentations and briefings produced by the Volpe Center's Human Factors staff. ProductsIncludes tools created for our sponsors such as software, checklists, databases and charts. |