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Aviation

Simulator Design and Development

Helicopter flight simulator. The Portable Reconfigurable Intelligent Symbology Management Simulator (PRISMS) was developed by Anacapa Sciences as a powerful, but inexpensive, flight simulator specifically designed to provide many of the features of simulators costing millions of dollars. PRISMS is easy to operate, and is portable for use in a variety of on-site research, demonstration, and training applications. PRISMS includes an immersive, head-tracked helmet-mounted display, with Apache symbology overlaying realistic terrain. The system includes cyclic, collective, and rudder pedal flight controls, a helicopter flight model, voice recognition and synthesis, 3D sound generation, user-definable symbol appearance and behavior, and full data recording capabilities. (Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate).

System Design

Intelligent Advisor for Human-Computer Interface Design (IAHCID). Completed a feasibility study of IAHCID concepts to provide the HCI design team with rapid accessibility to the enormous array of existing design data, filtered and tailored for the design project at hand. As an HCI is being designed from components, IAHCID advises the designer on all aspects of the design issues by incorporating knowledge of basic human-computer interaction principles and the results of many years of research on the application of those principles. The advisor is capable of learning, so that relevant advice can be provided during an iterative HCI design process, where the results of usability testing are incorporated in the design. It also considers user-specified constraints on the HCI design, such as the availability of a speech synthesis and recognition capabilities. IACID assists the HCI designer in task analysis and selection and layout of specific HCI elements, interactively leading the user through the logical steps of the design process, ensuring that all of the required information elements are represented, and supporting the designers' creative and evaluative activities with new and powerful tools (Naval surface Warfare Center)

Expert system to support rotorcraft pilot-vehicle interface design. Developed an expert system consisting of: a database summarizing information requirements for mission management; a rule base for the recommendation of display parameters based on information attributes; and an inference engine to drive the display recommendation process. The system is designed to organize collections of analytical information, document the growth of rules for information display, and manage application of the rules to the database. (NASA-Ames Research Center)

Cockpit display formats for high-performance aircraft. Designed a digital terrain management and topographic display system to be integrated into the AFTI/F-16 aircraft cockpit. Identified current deficiencies in the performance of 23 critical cockpit functions such as analysis of target data, selection of weapon delivery tactics, coordination of multiple aircraft, selection of the flight route and position updating, and preparing for air-to-air combat. New display formats were then devised to overcome the deficiencies, improving mission effectiveness and survivability, and reducing workload. (General Dynamics Corporation)

Display system for remotely piloted vehicle. Explored the potential uses of computer-generated navigation and planning techniques in fulfilling the requirements for conducting missions with remotely piloted vehicles. Identified optimal information content and format, and requirements for map presentation, mission planning, and system employment during flight. Designed a series of new display formats such as the "sensor footprint" display and the "lost communication link" display to aid operators. (Sandia National Laboratories)

Helmet integrated display sighting system (HIDSS). Conducted MANPRINT analyses to support development of the HIDSS for the Army's new RAH-66 Comanche helicopter. The HIDSS is a binocular, wide field of view helmet mounted display (HMD) that serves as the primary "eyes and ears" for both the pilot and copilot/gunner. MANPRINT analyses are intended to ensure that appropriate human factors engineering and related analyses are performed and their results incorporated as early as possible into the system design process. (Kaiser Electronics)

Guidelines for applying voice technology. Conducted human factors analyses of the application of voice technology to helicopter cockpits. Specified the functional requirements which can be satisfied by voice recognition and synthesis, and assessed the impact on aviator workload--with special emphasis on the sensory, cognitive, and psychomotor aspects of workload. Developed recommendations and guidelines for the application of voice technology in cockpit design. (Army Avionics R&D Activity)

Perceptual investigations of computer-generated topographic symbology. Designed and constructed a rapidly reconfigurable vision laboratory. Conducted a series of color vision experiments to provide design requirements for rapidly emerging technology. Identified optimal methods for visual presentation of information on an airborne computer-generated topographic display system. Addressed symbol legibility, color chrominance, transfer of training, simultaneous contrast of symbol/background colors, and visual performance response times. Developed new symbol sets to support operational requirements under the constraints of display capabilities and human visual limitations. (Army Communications R&D Command)

Evaluated intelligent system methods for managing helmet-mounted display (HMD) symbology in rotorcraft. Intensive knowledge-acquisition interviews were conducted with 12 very experienced AH-64 Apache instructor pilots at the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The study identified a number of improvements to the conventional symbology scheme, methods of presenting new and useful information elements, and most importantly, techniques for presentation of new spatial/geographic symbols for cueing tactical situation awareness. (Army AATD)

Supported symbology development for helmet-mounted displays for use in the Covert Night/Day Operations in Rotorcraft (CONDOR) Program. Products included mission information analyses and supporting relational database software; a model of the symbology development process and an overview of its principles; a quantitative workload prediction model; handbook of guidelines for identifying optimal symbology modality, location, and format; and an expert system for linking symbology rules to attributes of the pilot tasks identified in the mission analyses. (UK Defence Evaluation and Research Agency)

Performed experimental evaluations of a helmet-tracked cursor control for use in advanced aircraft. Conducted basic research studies on capabilities and limitations of humans performing head tracking in tasks representative of those required in the cockpit. Quantitatively identified the effect on target acquisition time of 20-120 millisecond lags between head movement and cursor response. Identified the effects of variation of control/display ratios on head tracking performance for stationary and moving targets. (USAF Wright Laboratories)

Determined the merit and feasibility of a helmet-tracked cursor control system for use in high performance aircraft. Identified the critical human factors issues pertaining to such a device as well as the specific combat mission tasks for which performance might be improved. Conducted extensive reviews of the literature in head tracking systems and F-15E and F-16C avionics manuals, developed a taxonomy of cursor control tasks, performed detailed analyses of 45 cursor control tasks currently required in the cockpit, conducted in-depth interviews with instructors and instructor pilots and the 58th Training Command at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona. (USAF Wright Laboratories)

Analysis of Crew Workload

Workload analysis for commercial aircraft pilots. Conducted a study of pilot workload for the terminal phases of an MD-80 commercial aircraft flight. A model of workload estimation was used to obtain numeric estimates of pilot workload at one minute intervals throughout 10 route segments comprising the three terminal phases of flight in an MD-80 aircraft--descent, approach, and landing. (Douglas Aircraft Company)

Advanced rotorcraft technology integration. Participated in the Army's evaluation of the full-mission simulation being conducted by each of the five Advanced Rotorcraft Technology Integration contractors. The simulation was designed to validate the workload analyses, test the crew station designs, and demonstrate single-pilot operability prior to full-scale development of the proposed aircraft. (Army Research Institute, Aviation Research and Development Activity, and Army Aviation Systems Command)

AH-64 task analysis and workload prediction. Conducted a mission/task analysis for all phases of the AH-64A tactical mission. Derived workload and time estimates from the analysis to use as a data base for developing computer models to predict workload for AH-64 pilots and gunners. Used models to predict reductions in workload produced by proposed modifications for the AH-64B model. (Army Research Institute, Aviation Research and Development Activity, and Army Aviation Systems Command)

Validation of the Task Analysis/workload (TAWL) Prediction Methodology. Conducted an initial validation of the TAWL methodology by generating predictions of operator workload for a multi task simulated flying scenario. Collected subjective, physiological, and performance measures of workload during task execution to establish the relationship between these measures of workload and the predictions generated by TAWL. Also collected information on the effects of training on workload. (Army Research Institute, Aviation Research and Development Activity)

Operations and Maintenance

Managing large schematics on a small computer screen. Developed a method for squeezing a large schematic or diagram image onto a small computer screen in a form that is still viewable and usable by a maintainer. Termed FocalView, this system uses bit-mapped warping/compression algorithms that do not require any content knowledge of the to-be-compressed schematic. Based on an advanced perceptual-cognitive theory of human vision, FocalView optimizes the use of virtually every screen pixel while warping and compressing the surrounding area. Experimental validation and strong positive user reaction was demonstrated in two separate experiments. FocalView runs on commercial off-the-shelf hardware, and can be applied to a wide range of military and commercial work settings. (Air Force Research Laboratory)

View a schematic presented in FocalView

Operational air command simulation technologies. Defined and validated a mental model of the Air Force theater air commander to be used to develop low-cost, high-fidelity war games for implementation on desktop computers. Designed a series of experiments to identify specific game-design variables that promote command and crisis management expertise. (Frontier Technology)

Army aviation maintenance analysis. Conducted a survey of human factors methodologies and models for improving the maintainability design of emerging Army aviation systems. Identified critical tasks that should be addressed in a program of maintainability research. Conducted an analysis of an Army aviation maintenance data base to determine its utility for identifying manpower, personnel, training, and human factors problem areas. (Army Research Institute Aviation Research and Development Activity)

Crew coordination and mission performance. Analyzed Army helicopter accident data to identify aircrew coordination errors. Performed exploratory research in a flight simulator to compare crew coordination and mission performance, employing simulator-based scenarios and performance measurement instruments designed specifically for this purpose. (Army Research Institute, Aviation Research and Development Activity)

Mission Planning

Mission Planning Skills of USAF Fighter Pilots. The focus of this project was on the planning needs of pilots using the AFRL Distributed Mission Training (DMT) system. Interventions were identified through a training needs analysis in which a set of high-payoff mission planning skills were identified, promising interventions were extracted through SME interviews and literature review, and a Delphi approach was used to achieve consensus among a panel of experts concerning those interventions that will have the greatest potential. The result was a set of concept design specifications for the most promising interventions. In addition a set of behaviorally-anchored rating scales to evaluate the quality of mission planning by F-16 fighter pilots for air-to-air missions, missions that historically have received little mission planning training, were developed for the AFRL Warfighter Training Division. The scales allow expert pilots (who are not expert researchers) to collect reliable and valid process and performance measures so that the quality of mission planning behaviors can be correlated with subsequent mission performance (Air Force Research Laboratory).

Design of the Integrated Mission Planning System (IMPS). Planned and conducted a human factors analysis, design, and evaluation program to support development of a mission planning system for Army aviators. Determined system functional requirements though interviews and flights with pilots expert in map-of-the-earth flight and mission planning. Conducted task analyses and developed display/control specifications. Constructed and tested a menu-based pilot-computer dialogue system and performed perceptual studies to specify required display characteristics and symbology sizes, shapes, and colors. (Harris Corporation)

Development of a mission planning model to support SOF operations. Developed and validated a model of the mission planning process as currently practiced by Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF). Constructed an information- flow model of SOF mission planning. Specified the information variables that must be addressed by aircrews during SOF mission planning. Delineated the sequence of mission planning activities performed by SOF aircrews. Enumerated the candidate mission outcome dimensions that assist in evaluating mission success. Classified the key behavioral dimensions that intervene between the completed mission plan and mission outcome. (Armstrong Research Laboratory/University of Dayton Research Institute)

Analyses of Human Error and Accidents

Night vision goggle studies. Analyzed Army aircraft accidents involving nightvision goggle (NVG) usage. Developed an accident classification decision-flow diagram for use in establishing precipitating and predisposing factors in aircraft accidents. Demonstrated that many of the hypothesized causes of NVG-related accidents were minor contributing factors rather than factors that directly precipitated an accident. (Army Research Institute, Aviation Research and Development Activity)

Accident data base analysis. Conducted analyses of a large sample of human error accidents documented in the U.S. Army Safety Center's (USASC) Army Safety Management Information System (ASMIS) accident data base. In the first analysis, the accident data were reviewed to determine if aircrew coordination was a possible causal factor. In the second analysis, the types of aircrew coordination errors that contributed to accidents were identified and classified into error types. (Army Research Institute, Aviation Research and Development Activity)

High risk behavior in Army rotary wing aircraft. Matched computerized data associated with indicators of high risk behavior previously identified with specific accident data elements in the Army Safety Management Information System (ASMIS). Data were analyzed to identify those indicators that, in combination, provide the greatest ability to predict or identify personnel with the highest risk for human error accidents. (U.S. Army Safety Center)

Most frequently violated procedures. Systematically reviewed a large sample of aviation accidents in which human error was identified as a causal factor to determine procedures that were specifically violated, including the steps or parts that were most frequently violated. Identified underlying causes for procedural violations and developed recommendations to improve the procedures and the manner in which they are taught. (U.S. Army Safety Center)

Operational concept for integrating safety into a combat theater of operations. Conducted a detailed analysis of the full range of contingency operations as defined in Army field manuals to characterize the major features of each level of combat that may be positively affected by safety related activities. Developed and administered structured interviews to collect pertinent information from selected Army commands and other military services recently involved in combat operations. Developed a list of potential safety functions to be implemented in various levels of contingency operations. (U.S. Army Safety Center)

Safe Leader Attributes. Surveyed aviators who participated in recent combat operations about safety attitudes and practices within their units. Analyzed the survey data and unit accident records to determine the characteristics of aviation leaders whose units performed safely during combat. (Army Research Institute, Aviation Research and Development Activity, and Directorate of Evaluation and Standardization)


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