1. Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law, officially opened the Human Performance Centre (HPC) at the Home Team Academy on Monday, 17 October 2016. The opening of this facility is a key milestone in the Home Team's (HT) transformational journey to optimise work processes, operational systems and performance of HT officers through the application of Human Factors (HF) in Training and Operations.
2. The HPC enables the HT to plan and evaluate new equipment, systems and work methods vis-a-vis the "humanistic" needs of our HT officers. For example, ergonomic design, thermal comfort and safety features were considered in the design of the uniforms worn by Traffic Police officers.
3. The HPC focuses on four key areas, namely: (i) Smart Surveillance; (ii) Virtual Reality for Training; (iii) Human Centricity for Network Enabled Operations; and (iv) Workload, Fatigue and Vigilance.
Smart Surveillance Suite
4. The Smart Surveillance Suite will develop and customise innovative and intelligent analytics solutions to enhance the HT's sense-making capabilities.
5. With the increasing volume of video data available through the deployment of CCTVs, this is an important focus area where innovative analytics (such as Analytical Human Reasoning) can augment the work of the HT. An example would be the configuration of algorithms in CCTVs to detect and flag out suspicious behaviour and activities.
Virtual Reality Suite
6. The Virtual Reality (VR) Suite uses VR technologies to augment the HT's training pedagogy. This suite will incorporate HF parameters in the development of simulated training scenarios. One example is the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) simulator which provides officers the opportunity to practise their manoeuvring skills in a safe virtual environment modelled after Singapore's terrain. The UAV simulator also facilitates the study of various areas, such as operational proficiency, safety, and the cognitive load and motor co-ordination of the officers when subject to prolonged deployment. To increase realism and enhance the engagement between officers and the VR systems, state-of-the-art VR equipment such as Immersive Head Mounted Displays, 3D Screen Projection Systems and Omni-direction Treadmills are deployed in the Virtual Reality Suite (see Annex A for explanations of these equipment).
Human Centricity Suite
7. The Human Centricity Suite is an experimentation platform to study human-systems relationships while taking into account factors such as officers' degree of situational awareness, workload, decision-making skills and the level of team performance. These studies help identify bottlenecks in the design of systems to optimise performance. Such studies typically involve the use of Cognitive Task Analysis methods to identify critical operational needs; application of simulation technology to create realistic interactions; and the utilisation of the HF Evaluation System to record the officer's physiological reactions in response to simulated events to gauge stress. The analysis of these data will provide critical insights into the effectiveness of the systems and processes and necessary enhancements to achieve optimal operational performance.
Workload, Fatigue and Vigilance Suite
8. The Workload, Fatigue and Vigilance Suite studies the physical and mental needs of HT officers in relation to their operational environments. The findings influence the design of equipment and processes to optimise the performance of HT officers in three ways: (i) designing various interfaces such as systems, workspaces, devices and clothing; (ii) training officers on vigilance, situational awareness, fatigue management and the effects of environmental stress; and (iii) predicting the impact of work processes and technologies on the ability of frontline officers to avert human errors. This is achieved through systems such as the Usability & Observation Nexus, 3D Anthropometric Scanner, Neuro-Cognitive Tools, and the Gait-and-Motion Laboratory for biomechanical assessments. (See Annex A for examples of these systems and equipment).
ANNEX A.pdf (PDF,182KB)
