Innovative Airport Visual Aids to Enhance Situational Awareness and Flight Training for General Aviation

Runway incursionsare a threat to runway safety andhave been increasing in recent years. Incursions are categorized into three categories, pilot deviations (PD), operational incidents (OI), and vehicle pedestrian deviations (VPD). At general aviation airports, PDs are the most prevalent runway incursion type. Inadequate situational awareness is one of the human factors associated with PDs. Student pilots,pilots flying to an unfamiliar airport, ground operations personnel, and emergencyplanning and emergency responders can benefit from the use of visual aids that extend beyond an airport diagram or static Google Earth imagery. More robust visual aids can potentially increase situational awareness and reduce the risk of a runway incursion, and increase airfield familiarity through 360-degree photographs of the airfieldfacilities, including markings, signage, and intersecting taxiways/runways. This educational and informationaltool has the ability to increase familiarity of airfield characteristicsand increase safety

Visualisation of a three-dimensional (3D) object’s optimal reality in a 3D map on a mobile device

Prior research on the subject of visualisation of three-dimensional (3D) objects by coordinate systems has proved that all objects are translated so that the eye is at the origin (eye space). The multiplication of a point in eye space leads to perspective space, and dividing perspective space leads to screen space. This paper utilised these findings and investigated the key factor(s) in the visualisation of 3D objects within 3D maps on mobile devices. The motivation of the study comes from the fact that there is a disparity between 3D objects within a 3D map on a mobile device and those on other devices; this difference might undermine the capabilities of a 3D map view on a mobile device. This concern arises while interacting with a 3D map view on a mobile device. It is unclear whether an increasing number of users will be able to identify the real world as the 3D map view on a mobile device becomes more realistic. We used regression analysis intended to rigorously explain the participants’ responses and the Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method (DEMATEL) to select the key factor(s) that caused or were affected by 3D object views. The results of regression analyses revealed that eye space, perspective space and screen space were associated with 3D viewing of 3D objects in 3D maps on mobile devices and that eye space had the strongest impact. The results of DEMATEL using its original and revised version steps showed that the prolonged viewing of 3D objects in a 3D map on mobile devices was the most important factor for eye space and a long viewing distance was the most significant factor for perspective space, while large screen size was the most important factor for screen space. In conclusion, a 3D map view on a mobile device allows for the visualisation of a more realistic environment

Preliminary Investigations into the Usability of 3D Environments for 2D GIS Users

Although the need for 3D GIS is growing, migrating from traditional 2D to 3D GIS can be frustrating due to the familiarity of users with 2D. This paper describes a preliminary investigation into the problems that users encounter when migrating from 2D to 3D environments from a theoretical perspective and via two usability evaluation tests: Cognitive Walkthrough and User Testing. As expected, the results demonstrate the influence of 2D perceptions when interacting with 3D GIS and that users experienced more difficulties interacting in 3D, resulting in lower confidence and satisfaction

Usability analysis of 3D Maps for Pedestrian Navigation among different demographic profiles

3-Dimensional (3D) maps may provide the users with a more real-world like view in comparison with the 2-Dimensional (2D) maps. 3D maps offer more degree of freedom in movement to the users, a first-person perspective view and other dynamic details such as time of the day, weather could also be incorporated. This paper demonstrates the evaluation of the usability of 3D maps for navigation purposes, in several general aspects including recognizing landmarks and using these visual cues for navigation among different representative user-groups. The 3D model was designed to replicate the High Street, Stratford, London, UK. The participants of the survey were required to explore the model, identify and memorize the landmarks and form a mental map. They were also asked to reproduce the route they took in a 2D paper map and answer a questionnaire on their perception of their own cognitive abilities and their response on the performance of the 3D model. The results confirmed that the usability can vary among users of different demographic profiles – age, gender and language and familiarity with 3D technologies. It also showed that with some improvements in level of details incorporated in the model and design, 3D maps could become a useful tool for navigation purposes

Designing for Mixed Reality Urban Exploration

This paper introduces a design framework for mixed reality urban exploration (MRUE), based on a concrete implementation in a historical city. The framework integrates different modalities, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and haptics-audio interfaces, as well as advanced features such as personalized recommendations, social exploration, and itinerary management. It permits to address a number of concerns regarding information overload, safety, and quality of the experience, which are not sufficiently tackled in traditional non-integrated approaches. This study presents an integrated mobile platform built on top of this framework and reflects on the lessons learned

Designing for Mixed Reality Urban Exploration

This paper introduces a design framework for mixed reality urban exploration (MRUE), based on a concrete implementation in a historical city. The framework integrates different modalities, such as virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and haptics-audio interfaces, as well as advanced features such as personalized recommendations, social exploration, and itinerary management. It permits to address a number of concerns regarding information overload, safety, and quality of the experience, which are not sufficiently tackled in traditional non-integrated approaches. This study presents an integrated mobile platform built on top of this framework and reflects on the lessons learned.Peer reviewe

A longitudinal review of Mobile HCI research Methods

This paper revisits a research methods survey from 2003 and contrasts it with a survey from 2010. The motivation is to gain insight about how mobile HCI research has evolved over the last decade in terms of approaches and focus. The paper classifies 144 publications from 2009 published in 10 prominent outlets by their research methods and purpose. Comparing this to the survey for 2000-02 show that mobile HCI research has changed methodologically. From being almost exclusively driven by engineering and applied research, current mobile HCI is primarily empirically driven, involves a high number of field studies, and focus on evaluating and understanding, as well as engineering. It has also become increasingly multi-methodological, combining and diversifying methods from different disciplines. At the same time, new opportunities and challenges have emerged

How does the design of landmarks on a mobile map influence wayfinding experts’ spatial learning during a real-world navigation task?

Humans increasingly rely on GPS-enabled mobile maps to navigate novel environments. However, this reliance can negatively affect spatial learning, which can be detrimental even for expert navigators such as search and rescue personnel. Landmark visualization has been shown to improve spatial learning in general populations by facilitating object identification between the map and the environment. How landmark visualization supports expert users’ spatial learning during map-assisted navigation is still an open research question. We thus conducted a real-world study with wayfinding experts in an unknown residential neighborhood. We aimed to assess how two different landmark visualization styles (abstract 2D vs. realistic 3D buildings) would affect experts’ spatial learning in a map-assisted navigation task during an emergency scenario. Using a between-subjects design, we asked Swiss military personnel to follow a given route using a mobile map, and to identify five task-relevant landmarks along the route. We recorded experts’ gaze behavior while navigating and examined their spatial learning after the navigation task. We found that experts’ spatial learning improved when they focused their visual attention on the environment, but the direction of attention between the map and the environment was not affected by the landmark visualization style. Further, there was no difference in spatial learning between the 2D and 3D groups. Contrary to previous research with general populations, this study suggests that the landmark visualization style does not enhance expert navigators’ navigation or spatial learning abilities, thus highlighting the need for population-specific mobile map design solutions

Effect of GPS on understanding relationship between mobile map and environment : a field experiment

Objectives: GPS technology enables the visualisation of a map reader's location on a mobile map. Earlier research on the cognitive aspects of map reading identified that searching for map-environment points is an essential element for the process of determining one's location on a mobile map. Map-environment points refer to objects that are visualized on the map and are recognizable in the environment. However, because the GPS usually adds only one point to the map that has a relation to the environment, it does not provide a sufficient amount of information for self-location. The aim of the present thesis was to assess the effect of GPS on the cognitive processes involved in determining one's location on a map. Methods: The effect of GPS on self-location was studied in a field experiment. The subjects were shown a target on a mobile map, and they were asked to point in the direction of the target. In order for the map reader to be able to deduce the direction of the target, he/she has to locate himself/herself on the map. During the pointing tasks, the subjects were asked to think aloud. The data from the experiment were used to analyze the effect of the GPS on the time needed to perform the task. The subjects verbal data was used to assess the effect of the GPS on the number of landmark concepts mentioned during a task (landmark concepts are words referring to objects that can be recognized both on the map and in the environment). Results and conclusions: The results from the experiment indicate that the GPS reduces the time needed to locate oneself on a map. The analysis of the verbal data revealed that the GPS reduces the number of landmark concepts in the protocols. The findings suggest that the GPS guides the subject's search for the map-environment points and narrows the area on the map that must be searched for self-location.Tavoitteet: GPS-teknologia mahdollistaa kartanlukijan sijainnin esittämisen mobiilikartan ruudulla. Kartanlukemista koskevien psykologisten teorioiden mukaan oman sijainnin määrittäminen kartalla edellyttää, että kartanlukija pystyy yhdistämään vähintään kaksi kartalla esitettyä kohdetta vastaaviin ympäristön objekteihin. Kuitenkin GPS-teknologian avulla esitetään yleensä vain yksi piste kartalla, joten GPS ei yksinään tarjoa kartan käyttäjällä riittävästi informaatiota oman sijainnin määrittämiseen. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin, miten kartanlukijat pystyvät hyödyntämään GPS:n tarjoamaa lisäinformaatioita ja miten GPS vaikuttaa oman sijainnin määrittämiseen kartalla. Menetelmät: GPS-teknologian vaikutusta itsensä paikallistamiseen tutkittiin kenttäkokeessa. Koehenkilöille esitettiin mobiilikartan ruudulla kohde, ja heitä pyydettiin osoittamaan suunta kohteeseen. Suunnanosoitustehtävän suorittaminen edellyttää, että kartanlukija määrittää oman sijaintinsa kartalla. Vasta tämän jälkeen kartanlukija voi päätellä suunnan kohteeseen. Tehtävän suorittamisen aikana koehenkilöiden piti ajatella ääneen. Kokeessa kerätyn aineiston avulla selvitettiin, miten GPS vaikuttaa oman sijainnin määrittämiseen tarvittavaan aikaan. Koehenkilöiden tuottamien verbaalisten protokollien avulla tarkasteltiin GPS:n vaikutusta maamerkkisanojen esiintymiseen. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset: Tulokset viittaavat siihen, että GPS-toiminto nopeuttaa oman sijainnin määrittämistä kartalla ja aiheuttaa laadullisia eroja kartanlukijan ongelmanratkaisuprosesseihin. Koehenkilöiden tuottamien verbaalisten protokollien analyysi osoitti, että GPS-toiminto vähentää maamerkkisanojen esiintymistä. Tulokset viittaavat siihen, että GPS vaikuttaa tapaan, jolla koehenkilöt etsivät kartalta ja ympäristöstä tunnistettavia objekteja, ja kaventaa kartan aluetta, jolta etsitään itsensä paikallistamisen kannalta oleellisia symboleja