Implications of Object vs. Space Based Theories of Attention in the Design of the Aircraft Head-Up Display

Abstract

Thirty-two pilots flew instrument approaches in a high-fidelity simulator. Location of flight symbology was manipulated head-up vs. head-down while controlling for optical distance and symbology format. Pilots were assigned to one of two symbology sets, conformal or non-conformal. Each pilot flew half of the trials with the symbology presented in a head-up location and half with the symbology located head-down. An unexpected far domain event was presented on one trial per pilot. The results revealed that, for flight path control, there was generally a cost associated with head-down location. The magnitude of this cost was larger for conformal than for non-conformal symbology. Head-up presentation resulted in faster transition from instrument to visual flight reference, but slower response to the far domain unexpected event and greater error tracking digital airspeed. The results are interpreted with the theoretical framework of object-based and space-based theories of visual attention.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1994
Accession Number
ADA281791

Entities

People

  • Jeffry Long

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Commercial Pilots
  • Computers
  • Course Deviation Indicators
  • Distance Measuring Equipment
  • Flight Instruments
  • Flight Paths
  • Flight Simulators
  • Flight Training
  • Human Factors Engineering
  • Measurement
  • Psychology
  • Simulators
  • Statistics
  • Transport Aircraft

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects