Gunner Performance in a Motion Environment: A Comparison of Controls

Abstract

This paper describes a study designed to quantify the effects of vehicular induced motion on tank gunner performance using two different control handles. One control was a fixed yoke that incorporated a thumb-operated, tracking button. The second control was a more conventional displacement yoke which functioned like that in the current M1A1 tank. The study was conducted on a ride motion simulator which had been programmed to impart four levels of ride motion. These ride levels were simulations of the Ml tank traveling over various test courses at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD. Generally, as vertical acceleration increased, performance decreased for both controls; however, the vertical accelerations imparted to the gunners at the more severe ride levels effected a greater reduction in time on target when gunners used the thumb button than the accelerations did when gunners used the displacement yoke. Performance using the thumb button was also more affected by target motion.