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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).
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)
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)
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 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)
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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