An evaluation of NASA's program in human factors research: Aircrew-vehicle system interaction

Research in human factors in the aircraft cockpit and a proposed program augmentation were reviewed. The dramatic growth of microprocessor technology makes it entirely feasible to automate increasingly more functions in the aircraft cockpit; the promise of improved vehicle performance, efficiency, and safety through automation makes highly automated flight inevitable. An organized data base and validated methodology for predicting the effects of automation on human performance and thus on safety are lacking and without such a data base and validated methodology for analyzing human performance, increased automation may introduce new risks. Efforts should be concentrated on developing methods and techniques for analyzing man machine interactions, including human workload and prediction of performance

Paper-based Mixed Reality Sketch Augmentation as a Conceptual Design Support Tool

This undergraduate student paper explores usage of mixed reality techniques as support tools for conceptual design. A proof-of-concept was developed to illustrate this principle. Using this as an example, a small group of designers was interviewed to determine their views on the use of this technology. These interviews are the main contribution of this paper. Several interesting applications were determined, suggesting possible usage in a wide range of domains. Paper-based sketching, mixed reality and sketch augmentation techniques complement each other, and the combination results in a highly intuitive interface

A review of US Army aircrew-aircraft integration research programs

If the U.S. Army's desire to develop a one crew version of the Light Helicopter Family (LHX) helicopter is to be realized, both flightpath management and mission management will have to be performed by one crew. Flightpath management, the helicopter pilot, and the handling qualities of the helicopter were discussed. In addition, mission management, the helicopter pilot, and pilot control/display interface were considered. Aircrew-aircraft integration plans and programs were reviewed

Aircrew-aircraft integration: A summary of US Army research programs and plans

A review of selected programs which illustrate the research efforts of the U.S. Army Aeromechanics Laboratory in the area of aircrew-aircraft integration is presented. Plans for research programs to support the development of future military rotorcraft are also described. The crew of a combat helicopter must, in general, perform two major functions during the conduct of a particular mission: flightpath control and mission management. Accordingly, the research programs described are being conducted in the same two major categories: (1) flightpath control, which encompasses the areas of handling qualities, stability and control, and displays for the pilot's control of the rotorcraft's flightpath, and (2) mission management, which includes human factors and cockpit integration research topics related to performance of navigation, communication, and aircraft systems management tasks

Rotorcraft handling-qualities design criteria development

Joint NASA/Army efforts at the Ames Research Center to develop rotorcraft handling-qualities design criteria began in earnest in 1975. Notable results were the UH-1H VSTOLAND variable stability helicopter, the VFA-2 camera-and-terrain-board simulator visual system, and the generic helicopter real-time mathematical model, ARMCOP. An initial series of handling-qualities studies was conducted to assess the effects of rotor design parameters, interaxis coupling, and various levels of stability and control augmentation. The ability to conduct in-flight handling-qualities research was enhanced by the development of the NASA/Army CH-47 variable-stability helicopter. Research programs conducted using this vehicle include vertical-response investigations, hover augmentation systems, and the effects of control-force characteristics. The handling-qualities data base was judged to be sufficient to allow an update of the military helicopter handling-qualities specification, MIL-H-8501. These efforts, including not only the in-house experimental work but also contracted research and collaborative programs performed under the auspices of various international agreements. The report concludes by reviewing the topics that are currently most in need of work, and the plans for addressing these topics

Team work: A problem for Ergonomics?

This Article does not have an abstrac

Multiloop Manual Control of Dynamic Systems

Human interaction with a simple, multiloop dynamic system in which the human's activity was systematically varied by changing the levels of automation was studied. The control loop structure resulting from the task definition parallels that for any multiloop manual control system, is considered a sterotype. Simple models of the human in the task, and upon extending a technique for describing the manner in which the human subjectively quantifies his opinion of task difficulty were developed. A man in the loop simulation which provides data to support and direct the analytical effort is presented

V/STOL maneuverability and control

Maneuverability and control of V/STOL aircraft in powered-lift flight is studied with specific considerations of maneuvering in forward flight. A review of maneuverability for representative operational mission tasks is presented and covers takeoff, transition, hover, and landing flight phases. Maneuverability is described in terms of the ability to rotate and translate the aircraft and is specified in terms of angular and translational accelerations imposed on the aircraft. Characteristics of representative configurations are reviewed, including experience from past programs and expectations for future designs. The review of control covers the characteristics inherent in the basic airframe and propulsion system and the behavior associated with ontrol augmentation systems. Demands for augmented stability and control response to meet certain mission operational requirements are discussed. Experience from ground-based simulation and flight experiments that illustrates the impact of augmented stability and control on aircraft design is related by example

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 199

This bibliography lists 82 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in October 1979