News Story

KMi representation on Key Scientific and Engineering Committees

Tuesday 9 Nov 1999

While attending the AAATE’99 Conference in Dusseldorf (Nov 2-6) Martyn Cooper (Research Lecturer in IET/KMi) was elected to the Board of the AAATE (Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe). This is the premier scientific committee for all stakeholders in technology for disabled people at the European Level. It activities include dissemination (a new partnership with the journal “Technology and Disability”, a bi-annual conference and regular newsletters), policy consultation, lobbying the European Parliament and Commission on matters concerning technology for disabled people, etc. Martyn Cooper expects to get particularly involved with the management and editing of the journal. For more information see the AAATE’s Web Site

Martyn Cooper has also been invited to join the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) professional group on Human interface systems engineering [A5]. He had previously been a member of the group on Personal Technologies [A10]. The scope of A5 encompasses all aspects of interaction between people and systems including:

(a) designing systems from an ergonomic/human factors perspective;

(b) user-interface designs for advanced and emerging technologies;

(c) physiological, psychological, social and organisational issues during system development, implementation and operation;

(d) evaluation and assessment methods;

(e) human to human communication, mediated via electronic systems;

(f) standardisation, best practice, and case studies.

Martyn Cooper will take a particular interest in human systems interaction issues for disabled people. His ongoing research into audio virtual environments for visually impaired students is particularly relevant here. More information about the group and the IEE can be found via the IEE A5’s Web Site

For further details please contact: Martyn Cooper

m.cooper@open.ac.uk