Emeritus Professor Neville Stanton

Research groups

Research interests

• Ergonomics and Human Factors methods
• Distributed cognition and distributed situation awareness
• The effects of automation on human tasks, mainly focused on the development of vehicle automation in road transport
• Research in a driving simulator to test track and on-road trials
• Adaptive Cruise Control was a particular highlight as this contributed to the first commercial implementation of the system in Jaguar vehicles

Current research

Professor Stanton has research interests in Ergonomics and Human Factors methods as has focused on the broad class of approaches called Cognitive Task and Work Analysis. The validation of these methods has led to published books and papers that present a large selection of methods with advice and guidance, examples as well as any supportive evidence.

Professor Stanton has also carried out research into team working which has focused on distributed cognition and has led to the development of ideas on distributed situation awareness which has challenged contemporary thinking on situation awareness to present a new approach and associated methods. His team work research has led to the development of methods that can be used to analyse, model and redesign the ways in which teams work.

Professor Stanton also conducts research into the effects of automation on human tasks, which has mainly focused on the development of vehicle automation in road transport. The research has considered the implications from automation in other domains, such as aviation, where automation has a history and some hard lessons have been learnt. Much of the initial research has been conducted in a driving simulator, which has subsequently led to test track and on-road trials. The research on Adaptive Cruise Control was a particular highlight as this contributed to the first commercial implementation of the system in Jaguar vehicles.

The defining characteristic of the work of Professor Stanton is his ability to move between the theoretical, methodological and practical application of Ergonomics and Human Factors. He thrives on problems to be solved. In doing so he is keen to advance both the theories and methods of the discipline. The problems are not simple and the answers cannot be found quickly. It is due to his dogged determination and willingness to collaborate with others that he has been able to advance the science and engineering of the discipline.

Research projects