Human Engineering Laboratory
The Human Engineering Laboratory (HEL) was a research institution under the U.S. Army Materiel Command that specialized in human performance research, human factors engineering, robotics, and human-in-the-loop technology. Located at Aberdeen Proving Ground, HEL acted as the Army’s lead laboratory for human factors and ergonomics research from 1951 to 1992, during which researchers investigated methods to maximize combat effectiveness, improve weapons and equipment designs, and reduce operation costs and errors. HEL was one of the seven Army laboratories that merged together to form the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) in 1992. History In 1951, Major General Elbert Louis Ford, the Chief of Ordnance for the U.S. Army Ordnance Corps, wrote a letter to Maj. Gen. Edward MacMorland, the Commanding General at Aberdeen Proving Ground, about the Army’s need for more advanced human factors research. It stated, "It appears timely to provide human engineering assessments in our development engineering designs and in our tests of these designs. Therefore, it is proposed that certain human engineering services be included in the activities at Aberdeen Proving Ground." In December 1951, the Ordnance Corps established the Human Engineering Group at Aberdeen Proving Ground following studies and surveys that recommended a more concrete, systematized effort