The Human Factors and Urban Ergonomics Lab (Human FUEL) is dedicated to designing systems centered on the end user, ensuring they are safe, enhance productivity, and delight. A large portion of our research is focused on transportation systems, but methods and models developed have been applied to systems in healthcare, manufacturing, healthcare, and aviation. Our research focuses on understanding and enhancing human performance and behavior as people interact with complex systems, with the ultimate goal of improving operator safety and reducing injuries and fatalities.
At Human FUEL, we study human behavior in traffic environments using mixed-method approaches that connect theoretical findings and real-world conditions.
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- Large-scale data analytics
- Preference surveys and behavioral assessments
- Controlled testing in simulated traffic environments
- Customizable platforms for cross-cultural studies
Our experimentation environment supports comprehensive studies of human behavior in controlled, safe environments:
Fixed-based vehicle simulator. The NADS MiniSim Quarter Cab is a high-fidelity vehicle simulator featuring audio-visual OEM components and 180-degree field of view, complete with a motion platform for tactile feedback.
Motion Capture. NYU Tandon’s Media Commons features an OptiTrack motion capture system with 24 cameras mounted on an overhead rig, capturing full-body movement data in real-time. The system uses reflective markers attached to a specialized suit to track 41 points on the body, enabling researchers and students to create realistic animations for VR experiences, game development, and biomechanics research.
Simulation environment. Strangeland is a Unity3D-based multiplayer simulator developed by Dr. Wendy Ju and the Cornell Tech’s IRL. This environment is networked so multiplayer interactions of road users (i.e., drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists) create a mixed-traffic test bed.
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