An Evaluation of Unisensory and Multisensory Adaptive Flight Path Navigation Displays: An Initial Investigation

Abstract

Unisensory and multisensory adaptive interfaces for precision aircraft navigation were tested under varying concurrent task demands. Participants - 12 USAF pilots - were required to perform a simulated terrain-following, terrain-avoidance navigation task, including evasive maneuvers, while also performing: (1) no additional task; (2) a visual search task; or (3) an auditory monitoring task. Real-time performance efficiency, as measured by lateral deviation from the flight course, was used to activate the adaptive navigation displays consisting of a visual azimuth steering line on the head-up display, a spatial auditory beacon, or a combination of the two displays. A completely factorial, within-subjects design was used to assess the effects of secondary task load and adaptive interface configurations on flight performance. The results indicated that the efficacy of multisensory, adaptive navigation displays is mediated not only upon the supplementary task confronting the pilots, but also upon the type of flight task performed and the strategies they adopted to acquire and use the information offered. Implications for the use of adaptive multisensory displays in tactical aircraft displays will be discussed.