Animated Mimic Displays

Abstract

Animated mimic displays represent the physical structure of a system, including: 1) the important components, systems, or subsystems, 2) the physical/causal connections between components, and 3) the flow of information or resources through these connections. This type of display has the potential to improve both the effectiveness of real-time performance and the efficiency of training. A research program has been initiated to determine critical factors in the design of animated mimic displays. The initial display designs were based on examples of animated mimic displays found in the literature. Four sets of psychophysical experiments investigated 1) chromatic/luminance contrast, 2) spatial/temporal frequency, 3) contours/borders, and 4) stairstep/sinusoidal waveforms. The first two sets of experiments revealed that existing designs were not effective. A theoretical explanation was developed and is discussed briefly. The second two sets of experiments investigated alternative display designs based, in part, upon these theoretical insights. The results indicate that the alternative designs will improve the effectiveness of animated mimic displays. A set of design guidelines are provided.