Improvement of workload estimation techniques in piloting tasks

The Modified Cooper-Harper (MCH) scale has been shown to be a sensitive indicator of workload in several different types of aircrew tasks. The MCH scale, which is a 10 point scale, and five newly devised scales were examined in two different aircraft simulator experiments in which pilot loading was treated as an independent variable. The five scales included a 15 point scale, computerized versions of the MCH and 15 point scales, a scale in which the decision tree was removed, and one in which a 15 point left-to-right format was used. The results indicate that while one of the new scales may be more sensitive in a given experiment, task dependency is a problem. The MCH scale on the other hand exhibits consistent sensitivity and remains the scale recommended for general use. The MCH scale results are consistent with earlier experiments also. The results of the rating scale experiments are presented and the questionnaire results which were directed at obtaining a better understanding of the reasons for the relative sensitivity of the MCH scale and its variations are described

Comparative evaluation of twenty pilot workload assessment measure using a psychomotor task in a moving base aircraft simulator

A comparison of the sensitivity and intrusion of twenty pilot workload assessment techniques was conducted using a psychomotor loading task in a three degree of freedom moving base aircraft simulator. The twenty techniques included opinion measures, spare mental capacity measures, physiological measures, eye behavior measures, and primary task performance measures. The primary task was an instrument landing system (ILS) approach and landing. All measures were recorded between the outer marker and the middle marker on the approach. Three levels (low, medium, and high) of psychomotor load were obtained by the combined manipulation of windgust disturbance level and simulated aircraft pitch stability. Six instrument rated pilots participated in four seasons lasting approximately three hours each

Characterization of time-varying human operator dynamics

Human operator performance in tracking study of pilots determined by deterministic characterization theory and mathematical mode

Synthesis methods for manual aerospace control systems with applications to SST design

Synthesis methods for manual aerospace control systems using digital programming and man machine performance data with application to supersonic transport desig

Study of Nonstationary Random Process Theory

Nonstationary random process theor

Comparative evaluation of workload estimation techniques in piloting tasks

Techniques to measure operator workload in a wide range of situations and tasks were examined. The sensitivity and intrusion of a wide variety of workload assessment techniques in simulated piloting tasks were investigated. Four different piloting tasks, psychomotor, perceptual, mediational, and communication aspects of piloting behavior were selected. Techniques to determine relative sensitivity and intrusion were applied. Sensitivity is the relative ability of a workload estimation technique to discriminate statistically significant differences in operator loading. High sensitivity requires discriminable changes in score means as a function of load level and low variation of the scores about the means. Intrusion is an undesirable change in the task for which workload is measured, resulting from the introduction of the workload estimation technique or apparatus

Study of nonstationary random process theory Final report, 1 Jul. 1966 - 30 Apr. 1967

Nonstationary random processes in nonreal-time applications - theories for nonreal-time correlation and spectrum analysi

The influence of vehicle aerodynamic and control response characteristics on driver-vehicle performance

The effects of changes in understeer, control sensitivity, and location of the lateral aerodynamic center of pressure (c.p.) of a typical passenger car on the driver's opinion and on the performance of the driver-vehicle system were studied in a moving-base driving simulator. Twelve subjects with no prior experience on the simulator and no special driving skills performed regulation tasks in the presence of both random and step wind gusts

The application of integral performance criteria to the analysis of discrete maneuvers in a driving simulator

The influence of vehicle transient response characteristics on driver-vehicle performance in discrete maneuvers as measured by integral performance criteria was investigated. A group of eight ordinary drivers was presented with a series of eight vehicle transfer function configurations in a driving simulator. Performance in two discrete maneuvers was analyzed by means of integral performance criteria. Results are presented

Decision tree rating scales for workload estimation: Theme and variations

The Modified Cooper-Harper (MCH) scale which is a sensitive indicator of workload in several different types of aircrew tasks was examined. The study determined if variations of the scale might provide greater sensitivity and the reasons for the sensitivity of the scale. The MCH scale and five newly devised scales were examined in two different aircraft simulator experiments in which pilot loading was treated as an independent variable. It is indicated that while one of the new scales may be more sensitive in a given experiment, task dependency is a problem. The MCH scale exhibits consistent senstivity and remains the scale recommended for general use. The MCH scale results are consistent with earlier experiments. The rating scale experiments are reported and the questionnaire results which were directed to obtain a better understanding of the reasons for the relative sensitivity of the MCH scale and its variations are described