Diploma in Usability Evaluation and HRI Metrics
Online postgraduate diploma of 800 hours in usability evaluation and HRI metrics: 8 modules covering evaluation in human-robot interaction, experimental design, questionnaires and scales, objective performance metrics, physiological and behavioural measures, statistical analysis, ethics and reporting, and a final project, with an assigned technical tutor.
Diploma in Usability Evaluation and HRI Metrics — studying from New Zealand
Robotics and automation are increasingly important in New Zealand, especially in dairy processing, food manufacturing, forestry, horticulture and logistics. Research groups at the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury lead in robotics and control engineering, and firms in these regions develop automated systems for primary industries. Engineers work on process control, industrial automation and robotic integration for manufacturers and technology providers.
Fees for New Zealand: NZ$3,550 (New Zealand dollar), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in New Zealand
Typical roles
Questions from New Zealand
Which New Zealand bodies recognise robotics and control engineering?
Engineering New Zealand is the professional body, and the Chartered Professional Engineer pathway is the recognised route to professional status. Universities such as the University of Auckland and the University of Canterbury offer accredited engineering degrees. SEIUM's qualifications are private and not accredited by any national body, so their recognition rests with employers or the relevant body.
Do robotics and automation employers in New Zealand value this training?
New Zealand has demand for automation skills in dairy processing, food manufacturing, forestry, and advanced manufacturing. Employers generally value practical project experience and programming ability highly. A SEIUM qualification can strengthen a CV, but whether it counts is for each employer to decide.
Is the programme workable alongside a full-time job in New Zealand?
Yes. The programme is 100% online and taught in English, so you can study from anywhere in New Zealand without a student visa. Master's programmes total 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours. You have an assigned technical tutor, and fees are payable in instalments or sponsored by an employer where possible.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Plan human-robot interaction evaluations with methodological rigour.
Design controlled experiments with a justified sample size.
Apply validated questionnaires such as SUS, NASA-TLX and Godspeed.
Record objective performance and fluency metrics.
Use physiological and behavioural measures with sound judgement.
Analyse data with appropriate statistical and qualitative methods.
Communicate results ethically and with a design focus.
Who it's for
- Human-robot interaction researchers.
- Usability specialists extending their practice to robotic systems.
- Human factors engineers who need to evaluate collaborative cells.
- User experience analysts working on industrial products.
- Ergonomics consultants assessing shared human-robot tasks.
- Data scientists in applied research who analyse experimental data.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter collaborative robotics.
What you'll work with
- ISO 9241-11:2018 (usability: definitions and concepts)
- ISO 9241-210:2019 (human-centred design for interactive systems)
- ISO/IEC 25066:2016 (Common Industry Format for usability evaluation reports)
- ISO/TS 15066:2016 (collaborative robots)
- ISO 10218-2:2025 (safety of industrial robot applications and cells)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679 GDPR (EU General Data Protection Regulation)
- Declaration of Helsinki (ethical principles for research involving human participants)
- R with lme4
- Python with pandas and statsmodels
- Tobii Pro Lab
- iMotions
- NVivo
8 modules
1.1Why evaluate interaction1.2Usability according to ISO 9241-111.3Effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction1.4Objective and subjective metrics1.5Laboratory versus field studies1.6Formative and summative evaluation1.7Taxonomies of HRI metrics1.8Internal and external validity1.9Review of published studies1.10Case study: critical analysis of a published HRI study
2.1Research questions and hypotheses2.2Independent and dependent variables2.3Within-subjects and between-subjects designs2.4Counterbalancing and order effects2.5Sample size and statistical power2.6Participant recruitment2.7Representative scenarios and tasks2.8Wizard of Oz studies2.9Study preregistration2.10Workshop: designing an experiment with a cobot
3.1System Usability Scale (SUS)3.2Workload with NASA-TLX3.3Godspeed scale of robot perception3.4Scales of trust in automation3.5RoSAS scale of social attributes3.6Technology acceptance questionnaires3.7Adaptation and validation for other languages3.8Reliability with Cronbach's alpha3.9Mistakes when using questionnaires3.10Practical exercise: applying SUS and NASA-TLX after a task
4.1Task time and success rate4.2Errors and interventions4.3Fluency of collaboration4.4Concurrent idle time4.5Human-robot distances and separation4.6Cell productivity4.7Product quality metrics4.8Automatic data logging4.9Normalisation of metrics4.10Lab: logging fluency metrics in a shared task
5.1Eye tracking and attention5.2Heart rate variability5.3Electrodermal activity5.4Electroencephalography in HRI studies5.5Posture and movement analysis5.6Video and behaviour coding5.7Signal synchronisation5.8Limitations and interpretation5.9Ethics in physiological measurement5.10Practical exercise: analysis of eye fixations during a task
6.1Descriptive statistics and visualisation6.2t-tests and ANOVA6.3Non-parametric tests6.4Linear mixed models6.5Effect sizes6.6Analysis of ordinal scale data6.7Thematic qualitative analysis6.8Mixed methods6.9R and Python tools6.10Workshop: analysing an experiment with mixed models
7.1Informed consent7.2Research ethics committees7.3Personal data protection7.4Worker participants and power relationships7.5Reproducibility and open science7.6Writing evaluation reports7.7Evidence-based design recommendations7.8Presenting to engineering teams7.9Study limitations7.10Case study: evaluation report for an integrator
8.1Evaluation question and context8.2Experimental design8.3Metric selection8.4Protocol and consent8.5Pilot execution8.6Data analysis8.7Design recommendations8.8Discussion of limitations8.9Report and presentation8.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM Institute campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, which makes the programme compatible with full-time work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is R with lme4, Python with pandas and statsmodels, Tobii Pro Lab, iMotions and NVivo, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: usability experiments with a collaborative robot, workload measurement with NASA-TLX and eye-tracking analysis during shared tasks. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ISO 9241-11:2018, ISO 9241-210:2019, ISO/IEC 25066:2016, ISO/TS 15066:2016, ISO 10218-2:2025, Regulation (EU) 2016/679 GDPR, Declaration of Helsinki.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector. No university degree is required.
- An internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 800 hours over 6–8 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with R with lme4, Python with pandas and statsmodels, Tobii Pro Lab, iMotions and NVivo, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
Prior technical training or professional experience in the sector (no university degree required), a computer capable of running the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
Related programmes
Postgraduate Diploma in Mission Optimisation and Load Balancing
Online 800 h Postgraduate Diploma in Mission Optimisation and Load Balancing. 8 modules with VDA 5050 v2.1, ISO 3691-4:2023 and Google OR-Tools. Dedicated tutor and open…
Postgraduate Diploma in EMS/MES Coupling and Cost-Driven Control
Online 800 h Postgraduate Diploma in EMS/MES Coupling and Cost-Driven Control. 8 modules covering ISO 50001, ISO 50006 and Siemens Opcenter. Dedicated tutor and enrolment now…
Postgraduate Diploma in SysML/Capella and Requirements Management
800-hour online Postgraduate Diploma in SysML/Capella and Requirements Management. 8 modules covering ISO/IEC/IEEE 15288:2023, ISO/IEC/IEEE 29148:2018 and Eclipse Capella. Assigned tutor and enrolment open.
More in Robotics, Automation & Control
All Robotics, Automation & Control programmes → · How to apply · Fees & financing · Scholarships