VINTHEC II - Visual interaction and human effectiveness in the cockpit, Part II
Overview
Background & policy context:
Human error remains a stubbornly persistent problem in aviation, and is implicated in some 70% of all commercial aviation accidents. Unless measures are taken to bolster aviation safety, predicted air traffic growth is expected to result in an increasing number of aviation-related fatalities and injuries. It is increasingly recognised that the most effective way to address aviation safety is to focus on the human factor in aviation.
New flightdeck technologies, such as advanced avionics systems, can greatly reduce human error, and provide a wealth of dividends in terms of safety, fuel efficiency, operational flexibility, and passenger comfort. Unfortunately, accident and incident data highlight a number of cases in which flightdeck automation was misunderstood and/or misused. Incidents and accidents with modern airliners often occur through co-ordination breakdowns between flight crews and automation. As the capabilities of flightdeck automation have increased over the years, the role of the pilot has changed drastically. More than ever before, the role of the pilot is one of a monitor and manager of automated systems.
Objectives:
VINTHEC II aimed to achieve:
- Detailed assessment methods including a universal, standardised and validated methodology for objectively assessing shared situational awareness and human interaction in complex aeronautical settings;
- procedural guidelines for the practical implementation of the objective assessment methodology, including specification of operational scenarios for CRM training and system evaluation purposes;
- implementation recommendations for applying the assessment methodology to work domains other than the flightdeck, which is believed capable of benefiting systems design and training efforts in any number of other industrial sectors;
- cognitive engineering recommendations on how to incorporate objective assessment methodology into the system design process;
- improved aviation safety with a view to a great number of aviation accidents and incidents involving human error as a contributing factor;
- a particular evaluation of automation which is becoming more competent, and assuming the role of an additional 'crewmember' on the modern flightdeck, underlining the need for techniques to assess shared situational awareness and co-ordination between crewmembers; and
- better (i.e. cost effective) design processes.
Methodology:
In recent years, maturation of cognitive theories has been paralleled by a revolution in psychophysiological methods that have enabled researchers to non-invasively study various aspects of non-overt human performance. Human effectiveness in modern cockpits is primarily influenced by the amount of visual information and the ways crews scan this information. Eye Point-of-Gaze (EPOG) and other ocular indicators can reveal fundamental aspects of human visual perception, information processing, and ultimately crew effectiveness. The FP4 project VINTHEC I developed an innovative methodology to assess situational awareness (SA) based on EPOG. This methodology was used for the first time in a number of pilot-in-the-loop experiments demonstrating the potential for this type of approach.
VINTHEC II conducted a series of part-task experiments to further develop and validate the methodology. A computer cognitive modelling exercise was performed as a benchmark for the experimental results. The project culminated in a motion-based flight simulator experiment to demonstrate the final methodology.
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