EFFECT OF BRIEFING AND VELOCITY ON THE IDENTIFICATION OF TARGETS FROM SIDE-LOOKING RADAR IMAGERY.
Abstract
Thirty-six Air Force radar navigators were asked to find airfields and dams on side-looking radar imagery dynamically displayed at a scale of 1:166,000. During simulated flights, at three aircraft velocities, the subjects were given three levels of information about the targets and their location. As the amount and specificity of target information increased, from minimum to maximum, the number of objects reported as targets decreased 26%, from an average of 9.1 to 6.7 per trial. In spite of this decrease in the total number of objects called targets, the proportion of real targets (seven per trial) that were correctly identified increased 37%, from 43% at the lowest briefing level to 80% at the highest briefing level. At the same time the proportion of identifications that were erroneous (i.e., false positives) decreased 50%, from 67% to 17%. As simulated velocity increased from 600 to 3000 knots the number of objects reported as targets decreased 35%, from an average of 8.8 to 6.3 per trial. With this increase in velocity the proportion of the real targets that were correctly identified decreased slightly, from 66% to 58%. However, compensating for this, the proportion of identifications that were erroneous also decreased--from 48% to 37%. These findings suggest that (a) increased target information is an effective way of enhancing operator performance in a reconnaissance/strike system, and (b) aircraft velocity does not necessarily degrade overall performance. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0662612
Entities
People
- Don F. Mckechnie
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory