Synthetic Switching Time Statistics

Abstract

A synthetic (predetermined) time system with expected times and time variances appears to have considerable usefulness in the design of panel layouts and the estimation of operator workloads, particularly during early developmental phases of a system. Accordingly, the study was made to see if a synthetic time system could be devised to predict the time statistics for setting and changing various types of switches as a function of several variables. These variables include: reach distances, type of switch, potential and actual switching uncertainty; both without and with different complexities of a simultaneous tracking task. Time data were collected through computerized instrumentation and the root-mean-square of tracking errors were collected for time intervals between switching task events. Analyses are being made to determine the repeatable predictability of the switching time statistics, the influence of the variables on these statistics, statistical independence of sequential switching times, learning effects on the tracking task, and switching task interferences on the tracking task. Since a synthetic time system requires a number of properties to be a useful technique of statistical time prediction, these tests are needed to show the degree to which these properties hold with switching tasks.