Modeling Affordance Using Formal Methods

Abstract

Affordances, or the physical interactions that an environment allows for a particular agent, are critical to the design of human-interactive systems. Researchers are developing formal models of human-device interaction that can be used to verify procedures, displays, and controls; however, no formal approaches to guide design exist for affordances. This paper presents such an approach. To model affordance formally, we instantiate an extant formalism from ecological psychology. A human-environment system model represents physical entities in an environment, properties such as 3-D spatial relations among them, and motor capabilities of a human operator. An application is demonstrated in an aircraft cabin door case study, and verification results aid in identifying an undesirable situation involving door openability.