An Evaluation of Vector Geospatial Databases in Cockpit Moving-Map Displays to Improve Pilot Performance

Abstract

Today's military pilots are bombarded with information from moving-maps and other advanced cockpit displays. Current moving-map displays in the AV-8B Harrier and F/A-18 Hornet naval aircraft are based on scanned aeronautical charts, which are familiar to pilots but present an unalterable - and sometimes illegible - display. When mission-planning symbols (i.e., targets, threats, routes, etc.) are overlaid on these scanned-map displays, the result can be extremely cluttered. In contrast, the advent of 'vector' geospatial databases offers the potential for customized moving-maps, in which user-specified geospatial features can be layered (with or without a base-map, such as satellite imagery) to suit specific mission requirements. The primary disadvantage of vector-based cockpit moving maps is the potential for increased pilot workload, unless these new map displays are carefully designed for the target user.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 24, 2000
Accession Number
ADA385439

Entities

People

  • Maura Connor Lohrenz
  • Michael E. Trenchard
  • Stephanie A. Myrick
  • Stephanie S. Edwards

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cartography
  • Databases
  • Department Of Defense
  • Government (Foreign)
  • Governments
  • Maps
  • Military Research
  • Navigation
  • Pilots
  • Satellite Imaging
  • Situational Awareness
  • Standards
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Transportation
  • Workload

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering
  • Database Systems and Applications
  • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects