Traditional analog alarms are nearly always exclusively binary, resulting in a single audio signal display sounding in order to inform users of a particular system parameter which has varied from within its predefined limits. During emergency situations, users can be faced with multiple simultaneous alarms, each relaying information concerning different, but usually related, system parameters. Using advanced sonification principles, achieved real-time with digital sound manipulation according to established human factors principles, new multi-parameter alarms can be created to better inform users of suboptimal conditions. These high-tech alarms also serve to help users maintain high levels of situational awareness, while aiding in sensemaking and decreasing stress caused by alarm flooding and cognitive overload.
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