Welcome to the lab!
Lab booking
First things first, how is the lab booked? We use a system called Clustermarket - if you want access, you need to email phsstechsupport@exeter.ac.uk (cc me into this email).
Next, book the lab for however long a testing slot you need (half day block book max) using Clustermarket. Try to avoid speculative block booking - this really clogs things up. We operate a first-come, first-serve system with lab booking, but if you want to use the lab and find that it's booked, get in touch with the person who has booked it - they might be able to give up the testing slot if they haven't found anyone to fill it yet.
If you are using the lab for development/coding/analysis then please make sure you have it booked, and say what you have booked it for at the time of booking.
Please make sure that you remove/unbook any testing slots which you were unable to fill, so that others can use the lab and it doesn't sit unnecessarily empty.
Lab use
Generic protocol for testing object lifting experiments can be found on other pages of this wiki. But regardless of what sort of study you are running, there are a few rules which should be followed.
1. First and foremost - no eating or drinking in the lab. The lab is not your office. Water spills routinely destroys scientific equipment, and no one ever thinks they are going to spill anything. Crumbs/grease on equipment can cause slips/other weird malfunctions. If you must drink water during testing, make sure it's from a bottle which can be closed, is not drunk over the equipment, and lives on one of the shelves.
2. Arrive early for testing - there will always be stuff to set up (or things to tidy away), and you don't want your participant to see you stumbling flustered through the setting up process (this is particularly critical in object lifting paradigms, where the stimuli should be set up and ready to do).
3. Put the testing in progress sign on the door. Do not go into the lab when you see this sign. If it's really important to get into the lab, knock loudly and wait for someone to open the door for you.
4. Make sure you've turned on all the various wall switches you need to - plenty will still function if you don't turn it on - you just won't have any data.
5. When you are done testing, make sure you turn off all the switches. Tidy up your stuff after you are done - decide what section of shelf you want your stimuli to live in and try to leave the lab as you found it. Don't forget to remove the sign from the door.
6. If something isn't working properly, at a minimum let Gavin know so that this information can be cascaded to all other users. Similarly, if something is dropped or broken during a testing session, it's important we know this. Accidents happen.