Abstract
Land navigation is a vital skill for dismounted Soldiers. Global Positioning System (GPS) technology provides the potential to enhance Soldier survivability by allowing Soldiers to precisely identify their location, track friendly troops, plot and share information about enemies, and exploit terrain characteristics when coupled with a topographical map. To evaluate the effectiveness of an improved handheld military GPS receiver, 16 Soldiers participated in a scenario-based usability study during which performance and preference data were collected. Overall, response to the receiver was favorable. However, the study revealed a Soldier-machine interaction that could result in catastrophic consequences on the battlefield. During a simulated call for fire from air support, 38% (6 out of 16) of the participants failed to identify the intended target's position and instead reported their own. This finding and the user interface interventions implemented to resolve it are discussed within the context of human perception and cognition.
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