Input Application for Taxi Instructions: Design Strategy

Abstract

In this paper the design approach is described for an input application, that allows pilots to enter taxi instructions into an Electronic Flight Bag within the currently available infrastructure and current procedures. The goal was to achieve this without adding to either pilot or controller workload, or increasing radio communication. To better understand the design options, and associated information requirements and constraints, the design space was mapped. The mapped space shows the relation between the total number of routes, the number of input options that are presented simultaneously, and the number of entries needed for route input. Using this map, possible route definition concepts were defined, ranging from a one-out-of-all selection, via a hybrid selection/specification, to a completely specification-based approach. The latter two have been implemented and evaluated. It was concluded that the hybrid approach is the most suitable for route input.