Target size guidelines for interactive displays on the flight deck

The avionics industry is seeking to understand the challenges and benefits of touchscreens on flight decks. This paper presents an investigation of interactive displays on the flight deck focusing on the impact of target size, placement and vibration on performance. A study was undertaken with search and rescue (SAR) crew members in an operational setting in helicopters. Results are essential to understand how to design effective touchscreen interfaces for the flight deck. Results show that device placement, vibration and target size have significant effects on targeting accuracy. However, increasing target size eliminates the negative effects of placement and vibration in most cases. The findings suggest that 15 mm targets are sufficiently large for non-safety critical Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications. For interaction with fixed displays where pilots have to extend their arms, and for safety critical tasks it is recommended to use interactive elements of about 20 mm size

Designing touch screen user interfaces for future flight deck operations

Many interactional issues with Flight Management Systems (FMS) in modern flight decks have been reported. Avionics designers are seeking for ways to reduce cognitive load of pilots with the aim to reduce the potential for human error. Academic research showed that touch screen interfaces reduce cognitive effort and provide an intuitive way of interaction. A new way of interaction to manipulate radio frequencies of avionics systems is presented in this paper. A usability experiment simulating departures and approaches to airports was used to evaluate the interface and compare it with the current system (FMS). In addition, interviews with pilots were conducted to find out their personal impressions and to reveal problem areas of the interface. Analyses of task completion time and error rates showed that the touch interface is significantly faster and less prone to user input errors than the conventional input method (via physical or virtual keypad). Potential problem areas were identified and an improved interface is suggested

Target size guidelines for interactive displays on the flight deck

The avionics industry is seeking to understand the challenges and benefits of touchscreens on flight decks. This paper presents an investigation of interactive displays on the flight deck focusing on the impact of target size, placement and vibration on performance. A study was undertaken with search and rescue (SAR) crew members in an operational setting in helicopters. Results are essential to understand how to design effective touchscreen interfaces for the flight deck. Results show that device placement, vibration and target size have significant effects on targeting accuracy. However, increasing target size eliminates the negative effects of placement and vibration in most cases. The findings suggest that 15 mm targets are sufficiently large for non-safety critical Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) applications. For interaction with fixed displays where pilots have to extend their arms, and for safety critical tasks it is recommended to use interactive elements of about 20 mm size

Using mobile phones in pub talk

We present the findings from a study of how people interleave mobile phone use with conversation in pubs. Our findings, informed by ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, unpack the interactional methods through which groups of people in pubs occasioned, sustained, and disengaged from mobile device use during conversation with friends. Fundamentally, the work that is done consists of various methods of accounting for mobile device use, and displaying involvement in social interaction while the device is used. We highlight multiple examples of the nuanced ways in which interleaving is problematic in interaction, and relate our findings to the CSCW and HCI literature on collocated interaction. We conclude by considering avenues for future research, and discuss how we may support or disrupt interleaving practices through design to overcome the highlighted interactional troubles

Mixed method approach in designing flight decks with touch screens: a framework

Touch screen technology’s first public appearance was in the early 2000s. Touch screens became a part of the daily life with the invention of smartphones and tablets. Now, this technology has the potential to be the next big change in flight deck design. To date, mobile devices are deployed by several air carriers to perform a host of non-safety critical pre-flight and in-flight tasks. Due to high safety requirements requested by authorities, new technologies cannot be adopted as fast as in other settings. Flight deck evolution, which is briefly presented in this paper, is reflecting this natural time delay. Avionics manufacturers are exploring and working on future concepts with touch screen displays. This paper investigates the potential benefits and challenges of touch screen technology on flight decks by means of a variety of qualitative and quantitative research methods (mixed method approach). On the basis of this, a framework was constructed showing the relation between various aspects that could impact the usability of touch screens on the flight deck. This paper concludes with a preliminary questionnaire that can help avionic designers to evaluate whether a touch screen is an appropriate user interface for their system

Using mobile phones in pub talk

We present the findings from a study of how people interleave mobile phone use with conversation in pubs. Our findings, informed by ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, unpack the interactional methods through which groups of people in pubs occasioned, sustained, and disengaged from mobile device use during conversation with friends. Fundamentally, the work that is done consists of various methods of accounting for mobile device use, and displaying involvement in social interaction while the device is used. We highlight multiple examples of the nuanced ways in which interleaving is problematic in interaction, and relate our findings to the CSCW and HCI literature on collocated interaction. We conclude by considering avenues for future research, and discuss how we may support or disrupt interleaving practices through design to overcome the highlighted interactional troubles

Future flight decks: impact of +Gz on touchscreen usability

Future flight deck designs from various avionics manufacturer incorporate touchscreen technology. There is little published research investigating the impact of inflight vibrations and increased G-Force (+Gz) on touchscreen usability. A Fitts’ law experiment was conducted to understand the effect of +Gz on touchscreen usability. 2-Gz and 3-Gz conditions were simulated with a weight-adjustable wristband. Empirical results and subjective ratings showed a large impact of +Gz on performance and fatigue indices. While the simulated +Gz increased linearly, throughput decreased exponentially, and movement time increased exponentially. This was also reflected by subjective ratings across all conditions. Findings suggest to transfer the experimental setting into a more realistic environment (human centrifuge) where ecological validity can be achieved

Designing touch-enabled electronic flight bags in SAR helicopter operations

In order to benefit from potential reduced operational costs and crew workload airlines are increasingly interested in touchscreen-based Electronic Flight Bags (EFB). This paper focuses on the specific domain of Search and Rescue (SAR) Helicopters. A first set of results aiming to explore and understand potential benefits and challenges of an EFB in a SAR environment will be presented. A review of related work, operational observations and interviews with pilots were conducted to understand and specify the use context. Digital Human Modelling (DHM) software was used to determine physical constraints of an EFB in this type of flight deck. A scenario was developed which will be used in future to define features, content and functionality that a SAR pilot may wish to see in an EFB. Developed initial interface design guidelines are presented

“Do animals have accents?”: talking with agents in multi-party conversation

In this paper we unpack the use of conversational agents, or so-called intelligent personal assistants (IPAs), in multi- party conversation amongst a group of friends while they are socialising in a café. IPAs such as Siri or Google Now can be found on a large proportion of personal smartphones and tablets, and are promoted as ‘natural language’ interfaces. The question we pursue here is how they are actually drawn upon in conversational practice? In our work we examine the use of these IPAs in a mundane and common-place setting and employ an ethnomethodological perspective to draw out the character of the IPA-use in conversation. Additionally, we highlight a number of nuanced practicalities of their use in multi-party settings. By providing a depiction of the nature and methodical practice of their use, we are able to contribute our findings to the design of IPAs

Collaborative use of mobile devices to curate sources of inspiration

We demonstrate a prototype mobile application designed to support individually collecting personal sources of inspiration on mobile phones, and then the sharing and curating of these collected materials in a face-to-face situation