ABSTRACT

Sensor technologies extend our ability to attain critical information that we might otherwise ignore or overlook. In the same vein, sensors can be thought of as the first component of a predictive system, which might foretell a complex scenario with safety-critical implications. To help identify optimal uses for sensors, designers can conduct a “function allocation analysis,” which helps compare the strengths of humans versus machines at specific tasks. Designers can use the results of this analysis to design systems with sensors that can detect safety issues that might fall outside a human’s ability to reliably sense. Use sensors to continuously monitor and detect events or changes in the environment that could put users at risk. With the advent of myriad Internet-connected smart devices, there is an inherent risk that users become overwhelmed with unnecessary and/or difficult-to-decipher data, simply because it is available.