I collaborated with the US Army's Aerial Delivery and Field Services Department (ADFSD) to automate and enhance the efficiency of their manual, labor-intensive parachute packing process by 30%, while creating a healthier, more ergonomic workplace for the parachute packers.
Client:
(This project is under development at ADFSD)
Role Product Designer
Duration January 2024 - August 2024 (8 Months)
Team Jennifer Davis Kyle Kawakami Alex Pravat Julie Saunders (Advisor) John Beck (Advisor)
Every year, 250,000+ T-11 parachutes are packed manually by the US Army, taking a significant toll on the physical health of the parachute packers.
The new T-11 parachute offers increased stability, comfort, and safety. However, these benefits come at a cost—it’s more challenging for humans to pack and complex to fold. As the demand for personnel parachutes rises, the strenuous nature of packing the T-11 has led to a shortage of manpower, with many soldiers suffering long-lasting injuries.
Additionally, packing T-11 parachutes takes more time than the older models, extending the duration of shifts and further contributing to the strain on personnel.
Heroes (The Users)
Every parachute must be packed with absolute precision, as a soldier's life depends on it.
Parachute packers, AKA riggers, are responsible for packing 15 parachutes per day, and inspectors oversee 4 other riggers to make sure the parachute meets its safety standards.
These riggers, both male and female, vary in height, strength, and stature. However, the process itself is rigid, leaving the riggers as the adaptable elements who must work hard and build their strength daily to ensure each parachute is packed perfectly.
Rigger
Packs 15 parachutes per day
Inspector
Conducts inspections throughout pack
Pain Points
Repetitive, strenuous packing steps performed every day for 15 times, intensified the injuries.
To analyze the process, we adapted a journey map to assess the level of pain experienced by riggers at each step. By mapping the process based on physical effort for tall and short riggers, repetition of a step, and the number of tools required, we successfully identified three major physical pain points that contribute to significant strain.
Pain mapping for each step, with red indicating the most painful points in the process.
Apart from physical pain, contextual inquiry revealed major barriers of efficiency of the overall process
As human-centered designers, we sought to understand the problem from within by conducting a contextual inquiry at on-site. Using the AEIOU design thinking framework, we effectively conducted qualitative research, gaining valuable insights. We then performed a thematic analysis of the data we collected, which led to the 4 actionable insights.
01
DEPENDENCY BOTTLENECK
Four riggers rely on one inspector before progressing, causing delays in the process.
02
NEGLECTING ERGONOMICS
Riggers have to adapt to the rigid process, regardless of their individual stature.
03
MONOTONOUS ROUTINE
The job lacks variability, leading to monotony as riggers follow the same process and steps every day.
04
CUMULATIVE INEFFICIENT TASKS
Small, inefficient tasks accumulate throughout the day, wasting riggers' time and diminishing overall productivity.
Guiding Principle
How might we create more efficient and ergonomic parachute packing process?
Our overall goal was to create an efficient and ergonomic system, but to address the problem more precisely, we broke it down into specific guiding principles. These principles guided our ideation process and served as benchmarks to measure the success of our proposed design.
01 Mitigate repetitive, injury-prone motions
02 Enable faster, scalable rigging with modular methods
03 Optimize packing techniques through data analysis
04 Foster collaboration and disrupt the monotony in the process
Ideation
We generated 200+ ideas that not only informed our design but also introduced new design considerations.
Ideation was our strongest phase, where we explored multiple technologies to see how they could fit into this unique problem space. While many of the ideas were bold and ultimately not implemented, this exploration was crucial in helping us identify the core problems that needed our focus as we moved forward with our designs.
Proposed Solution
Streamlined the packing process by ~30% by proposing an ecosystem of emerging technologies and existing ADFSD technologies
The components of our ecosystem—RFID tags, a height-adjusting smart table with embedded tools, and a control center dashboard—work together to create an efficient parachute packing system aimed at reducing injuries and bottlenecks in the process. We used our guiding principles to measure the success of our solution.
To inform the design, we conducted comprehensive on-site usability testing, followed by a co-design workshop with riggers and inspectors. These collaborative efforts ensured that the final design was both practical and closely aligned with the riggers' needs and workflows.
Recognizing that humans are central to the parachute packing process, we placed a significant focus on improving the working conditions for riggers. One of our key innovations was the introduction of height-adjusting tables, a solution that received unanimous approval from the riggers.
Before Same workstation irrespective of your stature
After Adaptable workplace reducing lower back and shoulder strain
Additionally, we prototyped an automated stowing machine, addressing one of the most physically demanding tasks in the process—stowing—which has been a major contributor to carpal tunnel syndrome and automating it would account for 1/3rd reduction of the overall strain.
Before Strenuous stowing process causing carpal tunnel syndrome
After Automated stowing that only requires placing lines in loops
Solution 2
Nullifying bottlenecks by monitoring both, Riggers and Inspectors
One of our key insights revealed that rigger reliance on Inspectors was a bottleneck in the process. During our co-design sessions, we discovered that inspectors could take considerable time to attend to a rigger, further slowing down operations. Our new system addresses slow inspectors by not only maintaining rigger efficiency but also monitoring Inspector efficiency in performing checks. This dual focus ensures that both roles operate smoothly, reducing delays and improving overall productivity.
Before Sometimes riggers may not be heard in the noisy room when they're ready for a check
After Visual signal that is noticeable readily in a loud or crowded room
The control center dashboard provides a secondary feedback system by notifying when a rigger is ready for a check and recording the time it takes for the inspector to respond. This adds an extra layer of oversight on the inspector and helps collect data on the work efficiency of both individual riggers and inspectors.
Rigger Checks also being monitored through control centre dashboard
(*Due to privacy concerns, we were unable to use photos of our real users - riggers and inspectors.)
Solution 3
Reduced overall shift time by ~30% by automating menial tasks
Our solution reduces overall shift timeby ~30%—by automating several menial and manual tasks in the parachute packing process. For example, the DA3912 form, which is filled out three times per parachute and typically takes about a minute per instance, was automated to save valuable time.
Before Strenuous stowing process causing carpal tunnel syndrome
After RFID scanner on the table allows for quick parachute accountability
Additionally, we automatedthe tool accountability check, traditionally conducted at the end of each shift and taking around 2 minutes, was also automated. Another critical area we addressed was the waiting time for inspectors. By integrating a system that monitors inspector responsiveness, we ensured that checks are performed more promptly, further reducing downtime and enhancing overall efficiency.
Automated tool check via control centre dashboard, efficient than old method of manual tool check (*Due to privacy concerns, we were unable to use photos of our real users - riggers and inspectors.)
Solution 4
Improving their morale by introducing leaderboards and performance stats
The riggers like healthy competition and comparing their scores. By leveraging persuasive design techniques, we tapped into both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. For some riggers, the intrinsic drive to see themselves at the top of the leaderboard was a key motivator, while others were motivated by the extrinsic reward of packing 3,000 parachutes to earn a four-day weekend. We brought these motivators to life by introducing performance statistics and a leaderboard system, designed to enhance work morale and break the monotony of the daily routine.
Leaderboard for pack floor aimed at boosting morale
Leaderboard for organization aimed at boosting collaboration
Performance Statistics, also providing extrinsic motivation
Solution 5
Collecting data to inform future designs
One significant gap at ADFSD was the lack of data collection. Data is a powerful tool that can not only guide promotion decisions for riggers but also enable performance improvements and, crucially, inform the future of fully automated parachute packing. Our system now captures essential metrics, such as the time taken to pack each parachute and the response time of Inspectors (IPs) for each check. This data can be leveraged to optimize team formation during high-demand weeks, when the demand for parachute packing increases, and to drive continuous improvement in both manual and automated processes.
Reflection
Applying HCI Principles Beyond Digital Interfaces
This project presented a unique problem space that involved working with physical materials, a departure from the digital-focused projects I had previously undertaken. For instance, we employed journey mapping in an unconventional way—by mapping the journey of the riggers as they packed a single parachute. This approach helped us identify key pain points that needed to be addressed.
These experiences were particularly significant to me in terms of broadening my understanding of how versatile HCI principles can be.
Leveraging Analogous Domains for Design Inspiration
Although our challenge was unique, we explored similar contexts such as car airbag packing and large tent packing, both of which involve similar materials and high-stakes outcomes. By examining these parallel contexts, we gained valuable insights into the thought processes and design considerations behind these solutions.
This approach provided us with a broader perspective and informed our strategy, reinforcing the idea that looking beyond the immediate problem space can lead to innovative and effective solutions.
Have any feedback, suggestions, or an outrageous idea about this project? I'd love to hear!
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