Tactile Cueing for Target Acquisition and Identification
Abstract
Objective: Modern aircraft place great emphasis on visually presenting information to the pilot. To reduce strain on the visual system, other modalities should be utilized. Preliminary research has shown that tactile displays may provide an effective means of communication; however, more research is needed in this area. To refine tactile displays, this study was designed to optimize resolution and methods of coding target information to the user. Methods: Nineteen subjects were tasked with visually acquiring targets within a 3-D virtual flight environment. Resolution of the tactile display, method of coding tactile information, and the method of presenting elevation information were studied. Results: Subjects were divided into video game experienced (VGP) subjects and non-video game (NVGP) experienced subjects. VGPs showed a significantly lower' target acquisition time with the 12-tactor (high) resolution level. The NVGP group exhibited the shortest target acquisition time with the 8-tactor (middle) resolution. In addition, the NVGPs showed a significantly lower acquisition time when the type of target was not coded into a specific pattern. Conclusions: In general, it was found that video game players performed better with the highest level of tactile resolution, while non-video game players performed better with simpler pattern and a lower resolution display.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2005
- Accession Number
- ADA441424
Entities
People
- Candace Lanning
- Cathy Simmons
- Jennie Gallimore
- Richard A. Mckinley
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory