Management Science and Engineering

How does a workstation affect comfort? What happens when a task becomes more demanding? The Human Performance Lab helps students and researchers investigate these questions through practical experiments in ergonomics, human factors and workplace design.

The lab examines human capabilities, behavior and performance, including fatigue, workload and interaction with machines. By studying the relationship between people and their working environment, students learn to evaluate design choices in terms of safety, comfort and productivity. Researchers can use the same experimental setting to investigate how systems can better support the people who use them.

Explore in this lab

• Evaluate how workstation design relates to body dimensions, strength and task demands.
• Explore differences in physical capability and the challenges associated with aging.
• Investigate visual attention and environmental conditions as part of human performance studies.

Selected tools and capabilities. Adjustable workstations, strength and dexterity testing, body measurement equipment, an age simulation suit, wearable eye tracking, environmental measurement and a thermal manikin.

A change in inventory, capacity or process design can affect an entire operation. The Supply Chain Operations Lab gives undergraduate and graduate students a practical environment for exploring those connections through data analysis, simulation and visualization.

Students use Minitab to bring statistics to life, creating histograms, examining data distributions and developing cause-and-effect diagrams to investigate variation and potential sources of manufacturing defects. Computing and business simulation tools extend that learning to capacity planning, inventory management and supply chain coordination.

Research themes include analytics, process digitalization, computer simulation and digital twins, which are digital representations used to study systems. Applications span healthcare, transportation, manufacturing and supply chains, connecting analytical methods with decisions about how services and operations perform.

Explore in this lab

• Investigate process variation and build evidence for quality improvement.
• Compare operational scenarios and examine trade-offs in capacity and inventory.
• Visualize results and communicate the reasoning behind a proposed improvement.

Selected tools and capabilities. Minitab, systems engineering and optimization software, SAP HANA, simulation and analytics packages, interactive displays and a video wall.

The Computer-Aided Visualization Environment brings panoramic and 3D content into an immersive learning space. Its projection system allows students to interact with visual representations of industrial processes, workplace environments and engineering systems.

Viewing a system from multiple perspectives can make spatial relationships easier to understand. Students can explore how an environment is arranged, examine ergonomic scenarios and discuss possible solutions while working with a shared visual reference. The experience supports problem-solving in a safe setting where complex situations can be examined without exposure to the corresponding industrial environment.

Explore in this lab

• Explore industrial and workplace scenarios through panoramic and 3D visualization.
• Examine spatial relationships and compare different viewpoints.
• Use immersive scenarios to connect engineering concepts with practical problem-solving.

The Operational Excellence Lab brings production and automation concepts into a hands-on teaching and research environment. Its mini-factory setting introduces students to industrial equipment, robotic systems and automated material movement, helping them connect individual tasks with the performance of a wider operation.

Students can examine how production activities are organized, where waste occurs and how automation supports the flow of work. Research themes include agile manufacturing, worker instrumentation, autonomous monitoring and visual quality control. Lean manufacturing provides another practical focus, distinguishing activities that add value from those that consume resources without improving the product or service.

Explore in this lab

• Explore the roles of robots, guided vehicles and automated storage in manufacturing.
• Investigate how camera-based inspection can support quality control.
• Analyze production activities to identify waste and opportunities for improvement.

Selected tools and capabilities. A manufacturing automation system with an automated guided vehicle, automated storage and retrieval, a Universal Robots UR3 collaborative robot with wrist-mounted camera, and an Intelitek Scorbot ER9 robotic system.

Engineering decisions become easier to examine when ideas can be modeled and visualized. The Decision Analytics Lab gives students practical experience with software used to design products, plan manufacturing activities and understand industrial systems.

With TechnoMax CNC Programming Software, students learn computer numerical control programming, machining processes and manufacturing planning. SolidWorks develops skills in 3D modeling, product design and engineering drawing. These activities connect design intent with the practical choices involved in making a component.

Industrial visualization adds a human perspective through virtual workplace and plant layouts, digital human modeling and studies of how people interact with industrial environments. Together, these approaches help students examine design alternatives and explain the reasoning behind engineering decisions.

Explore in this lab

• Develop 3D models and engineering drawings to communicate a design.
• Connect CNC programming with machining and manufacturing planning.
• Explore virtual layouts and the relationship between people and industrial systems.