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Donald Fisher
Professor
Education
- A.B., Philosophy, Bowdoin College,
1971
- Ed.M., Education, Harvard University,
1973
- Ph.D., Psychology, University of
Michigan, 1982
Research Interests:
Design and Manufacturing: rapid prototyping
of consumer products, workstation and workplace design, occupational
biomechanics, human-computer interface design (especially with the
older adult in mind), training Dynamics and Control: driving simulation,
transportation ergonomics, testing of intelligent transportation
systems technologies Production Systems: computer and quantitative
models of the person-machine systems; optimal shift work scheduling;
optimal rate-rest scheduling Quality Engineering: visual inspection,
medical decision making
Current Focus of Research:
Professor Fisher is the director of
the Human Performance Laboratory, a newly remodelled, 1000 square
foot space easily accessible to older and younger adults. Sixteen
students, 9 at the doctoral and 7 at the master's degree level,
form the nucleus of the research team. Projects in the laboratory
are ongoing in at least three different areas. Project MIDAS:
The goal of Project MIDAS (Massachusetts Interactive Driving and
Acoustic Simulator) is to test the safety and useability of many
of the new technologies that will form the backbone of Intelligent
Transportation Systems. The central element of this project, a
new, half- million dollar driving simulator, is an actual car
(Saturn) in which experimental participants sit, activating the
controls (brake, accelerator, steering wheel, lights, etc.) just
as they would normally. The research now being undertaken is focused
on collision warning systems, electronic variable message signing
(for advanced parking management systems), wrong way entries,
and accidents at signalized left turn intersections. Project PROTO:
The goal of Project PROTO is to develop the tools for rapidly
prototyping the visual and auditory interface between users and
new and evolving products such as audio remote controls, cellular
phones, voice mail, ATMs and so on. Advanced eye tracking equipment
can pinpoint at each moment in time where an individual is looking
on a display. Project CARE: The goal of Project CARE (Cognitive
Aging Research and Engineering), a campus wide effort, is to undertake
the basic research needed to improve the physical and mental well-being
of older adults. In our laboratory, studies of decision making,
memory, learning and the visual system are currently underway.
For example, in one project training techniques are being employed
which promise to reduce greatly the time that it takes older adults
to learn new material, to the point where the differences between
older and younger adults may entirely disappear.
Research Labs:
Research Sponsors:
- AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety
and Liberty Mutual Research Center
- Boston Central Artery/Tunnel Project
- Bose Corporation
- Centers for Disease Control
- Digital Equipment Corporation
- General Electric Fund
- Governor's Highway Safety Bureau
- Liberty Mutual Research Center for Safety and Health
- Link Foundation
- Massachusetts Highway Department
- Massachusetts Port Authority
- Michigan Department of Mental Health
- Millitech
- Motorola
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- National Cooperative Highway Research Program
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Science Foundation
- Research on Learning and Education
- Knowledge and Distributed Intelligence
- Human Resource Development
- Bioengineering and Environmental Systems
- Information Science and Technologies
- National Institute of Aging
- New England University Transportation
Center
- Precision Systems, Inc.
- U.S. Army Human Engineering Laboratory
- U.S. Army Research Institute for
the Social and Behavioral Sciences
Contact Information:
- Office:
- 210B Marston Hall
- Mail:
- Donald Fisher
- MIE
Department
- 220 ELAB
- University
of Massachusetts
- Amherst, MA 01003-2210
- Phone:
- (413) 545-1657
- Fax:
- (413) 545-0724
- E-mail:
- fisher@ecs.umass.edu
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