Validation of Predictive Workload Component of the Multimodal Information Design Support (Mids) System

Abstract

Operators in military C4ISR environments are required to rapidly assess and respond to critical events accurately while monitoring ongoing operations. In order to assist in designing complex display systems to support C4ISR operators, it is critical to understand when and why information displayed exceeds human capacity. Common metrics for evaluating operator overload are subjective report, which rely on self-reporting techniques (e.g., NASA/TLX, SART). A new design tool, the Multimodal Information Design Support (MIDS) system, predicts times of operator overload and offers multimodal design guidelines to streamline cognitive processing, thus alleviating times of operator workload and optimizing situation awareness. This paper empirically validates MIDS” predictive power in determining situations which may cause operator overload by comparing MIDS output to subjective reports of workload and SA during C4ISR operations. Future studies will validate MIDS” design capabilities through redesign and evaluation of performance, workload and SA on the optimized C4ISR task environment.