Enhancing System Safety with 3-D Audio Displays

Abstract

The enhancement of multiple radio communications can be an important system safety consideration. This study was conducted to determine how accurately helicopter pilots could process radio communications information in a simulated cockpit environment when the messages were presented under different modes (diotic, dichotic and 3-D audio). The dependent variable was the total number of points scored in the radio communications identification task. Subjects were 11 certified U.S. Army AH-64 pilots between the ages of 18 and 35 who possessed hearing and visual acuity within thresholds acceptable to the U.S. Army (U.S. Army, 1989). Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that presentation mode was significant. Pilots scored the greatest number of points in the identification task while using 3-D audio, fewer with dichotic presentation, and the least with diotic presentation. There was a statistically significant difference between the 3-D and the diotic presentation. The data imply that 3-D audio provides an effective mode of message presentation in systems with multiple radio communications.

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