Showing papers on "Situation awareness published in 2002"

A Descriptive Framework of Workspace Awareness for Real-Time Groupware

Abstract: Supporting awareness of others is an idea that holds promise for improving the usability of real-time distributed groupware. However, there is little principled information available about awareness that can be used by groupware designers. In this article, we develop a descriptive theory of awareness for the purpose of aiding groupware design, focusing on one kind of group awareness called i>workspace awareness. We focus on how small groups perform generation and execution tasks in medium-sized shared workspaces – tasks where group members frequently shift between individual and shared activities during the work session. We have built a three-part framework that examines the concept of workspace awareness and that helps designers understand the concept for purposes of designing awareness support in groupware. The framework sets out elements of knowledge that make up workspace awareness, perceptual mechanisms used to maintain awareness, and the ways that people use workspace awareness in collaboration. The framework also organizes previous research on awareness and extends it to provide designers with a vocabulary and a set of ground rules for analysing work situations, for comparing awareness devices, and for explaining evaluation results. The basic structure of the theory can be used to describe other kinds of awareness that are important to the usability of groupware.

Error Reduction and Performance Improvement in the Emergency Department through Formal Teamwork Training: Evaluation Results of the MedTeams Project

Abstract: The MedTeams project is a translational research effort to apply crew resource management (CRM) behavioral principles developed in aviation to emergency medical care. Hospital emergency departments share many of the same characteristics with workplaces where CRM is effective, such as time-stress, dispersed and complex information, multiple players, and high-stakes outcomes. Preliminary observations in emergency departments (ED) established that the same CRM behaviors employed by highly effective aviation teams could be useful in the ED (Weiner, Kanki, and Helmreich 1993; Simon, Morey, and Locke 1997). A retrospective review of ED closed claims revealed that failure to engage in one or more of these teamwork behaviors was associated with an adverse event and indemnity payments. In 43 percent of the cases reviewed, teamwork behaviors would have prevented or mitigated the adverse event had they been applied (Risser, Rice et al. 1999). Similar analyses attribute about 80 percent of anesthesia mishaps to human error and 70 percent of commercial aviation accidents to crew errors (Gardner-Bonneau 1993; Taggart 1994). Crew training has led to reductions in aviation mishaps beyond those produced by improvements in equipment and technology. The aviation community began introducing CRM training two decades ago and it is now required for all military and commercial U.S. aviation crews and air carriers operating internationally (Helmreich and Foushee 1993; Helmreich 1997). The basic principle of CRM is that crew communication and coordination behaviors are identifiable, teachable, and applicable to high-stakes environments. An additional principle is that those behaviors, although seen spontaneously, are not practiced reliably, regularly, or well unless specific training and reinforcement has established them. Specific CRM behaviors have been identified through experimentation and observation of high-reliability teams in demanding, time-stressed environments such as combat aviation and naval command and control centers (Leedom and Simon 1995; McIntyre and Salas 1995). Crew resource management training has been shown to be effective in these environments and is being extended into other domains (Helmreich and Foushee 1993; Salas et al. 1999). Finally, an essential principle of CRM is that a team needs to be formally established for teamwork behaviors to be effective. In contrast to the notion of a team as any loosely coordinated group of caregivers and support staff, the formal teamwork structure of this study stipulates that a team be made up of between 3 to 10 members. A team is composed of physicians, nurses, and technicians who are organized for a shift. The number of designated teams for a shift depends on factors such as staffing levels and patient volume. From these larger teams, ad hoc teams are formed to respond to emergent events such as resuscitations. In this model, teamwork is sustained by a shared set of teamwork skills rather than permanent assignments that carry over from day to day. Teamwork theory development has focused on input variables affecting team functioning such as task, work environment, and team member characteristics (Salas et al. 1992), what and how to train (Salas and Cannon-Bowers 2001), and outcome constructs of teamwork effectiveness (McIntyre, Salas 1995). Explanatory mechanisms of team processes exist in the form of constructs such as situational awareness and shared mental models, but relating team processes to work productivity outcomes has been limited by measurement difficulties with these constructs. Because this study examined the applicability of CRM to health care, a goal of this study was to generate a set of testable teamwork process–outcome propositions for future healthcare research. With respect to the training intervention, we sought to gain insight into the effectiveness of the training materials and methods, and features of the curriculum that needed revision. In addition, we sought to determine if the training intervention changed staff attitudes and behaviors and had an impact on patient care. These complementary perspectives are referred to as formative and summative evaluation in the education research literature (Bloom, Hastings, and Madaus 1971). The first objective of this study was to adapt an aviation-oriented teamwork curriculum to the particular circumstances of EDs by developing and then implementing a training curriculum (Emergency Team Coordination Course [ETCC]) organized around five team dimensions (maintain team structure and climate, apply problem-solving strategies, communicate with the team, execute plans and manage workload, and improve team skills) (Risser, Rice et al. 1999; Risser, Simon et al. 1999). The second objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention with measures developed to address three outcome constructs: Team Behaviors, Attitudes and Opinions, and ED Performance.

Situation Awareness and Workload in Aviation

Abstract: A pilot faces special challenges imposed by the need to control a multivariate lagged system in a heterogeneous multitask environment. The time lags between critical variables require prediction in an uncertain world. The interrelated concepts of situation awareness and workload are central to aviation psychology. Three components of situation awareness are spatial awareness, system awareness, and task awareness. Each of these components has real–world implications, spatial awareness for instrument displays, system awareness for keeping the operator informed about actions that have been taken by automated systems, and task awareness for attention and task management. Task management is directly related to mental workload, as the competing demands of tasks for attention exceed the operator's limited resources.

Designing and deploying an information awareness interface

Abstract: The concept of awareness has received increasing attention over the past several CSCW conferences. Although many awareness interfaces have been designed and studied, most have been limited deployments of research prototypes. In this paper we describe Sideshow, a peripheral awareness interface that was rapidly adopted by thousands of people in our company. Sideshow provides regularly updated peripheral awareness of a broad range of information from virtually any accessible web site or database. We discuss Sideshow's design and the experience of refining and redesigning the interface based on feedback from a rapidly expanding user community.

Human interaction with levels of automation and decision-aid fidelity in the supervisory control of multiple simulated unmanned air vehicles

Abstract: Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) are vehicular robotic systems that are teleoperated by a geographically separated user. Advances in computing technology have enabled ROV operators to manage multiple ROVs by means of supervisory control techniques. The challenge of incorporating telepresence in any one vehicle is replaced by the need to keep the human "in the loop" of the activities of all vehicles. An evaluation was conducted to compare the effects of automation level and decision-aid fidelity on the number of simulated remotely operated vehicles that could be successfully controlled by a single operator during a target acquisition task. The specific ROVs instantiated for the study were unmanned air vehicles (UAVs). Levels of automation (LOAs) included manual control management-by-consent, and management-by-exception. Levels of decision-aid fidelity (100% correct and 95% correct) were achieved by intentionally injecting error into the decision-aiding capabilities of the simulation. Additionally, the number of UAVs to be controlled varied (one, two, and four vehicles). Twelve participants acted as UAV operators. A mixed-subject design was utilized (with decision-aid fidelity as the between-subjects factor), and participants were not informed of decision-aid fidelity prior to data collection. Dependent variables included mission efficiency, percentage correct detection of incorrect decision aids. workload and situation awareness ratings, and trust in automation ratings. Results indicate that an automation level incorporating management-by-consent had some clear performance advantages over the more autonomous (management-by-exception) and less autonomous (manual control) levels of automation. However, automation level interacted with the other factors for subjective measures of workload, situation awareness, and trust. Additionally, although a 3D perspective view of the mission scene was always available, it was used only during low-workload periods and did not appear to improve the operator's sense of presence. The implications for ROV interface design are discussed, and future research directions are proposed.

Crew resource management: improving team work in high reliability industries

Abstract: The aviation industry recognised the significance of human error in accidents in the 1970s, and has been instrumental in the development of special training, designed to reduce error and increase the effectiveness of flight crews. These crew resource management (CRM) programmes focus on “non‐technical skills” critical for enhanced operational performance, such as leadership, situation awareness, decision making, team work and communication. More recently CRM has been adopted by other “high reliability” team environments including anaesthesiology, air traffic control, the Merchant Navy, the nuclear power industry, aviation maintenance, and the offshore oil industry. This review paper describes the basic principles of crew resource management, then outlines recent developments in aviation and other high reliability work environments.

An Augmented Reality System for Military Operations in Urban Terrain

Abstract: : Many future military operations are expected to occur in urban environments. These complex, 3D battlefields introduce many challenges to the dismounted warfighter. Better situational awareness is required for effective operation in urban environments. However, delivering this information to the dismounted warfighter is extremely difficult. For example, maps draw a user's attention away from the environment and cannot directly represent the three-dimensional nature of the terrain. To overcome these difficulties, we are developing the Battlefield Augmented Reality System (BARS). The system consists of a wearable computer, a wireless network system, and a tracked see-through head-mounted display (HMD). The computer generates graphics that, from the user's perspective, appear to be aligned with the actual environment. For example, a building could be augmented to show its name, a plan of its interior, icons to represent reported sniper locations, and the names of adjacent streets. This paper surveys the current state of development of BARS and describes ongoing research efforts. We describe four major research areas. The first is the development of an effective, efficient user interface for displaying data and processing user inputs. The second is the capability for collaboration between multiple BARS users and other systems. Third, we describe the current hardware for both a mobile and indoor prototype system. Finally, we describe initial efforts to formally evaluate the capabilities of the system from a user's perspective through scenario analysis. We also will discuss the use of the BARS system in STRICOM's Embedded Training initiative.

Exploring the Many Perspectives of Distributed Air Traffic Management: The Multi Aircraft Control System MACS

Abstract: This paper describes motivation, design, current and potential future application of the Multi Aircraft Control System (MACS). MACS is a powerful research tool that is being developed at NASA Ames Research Center to increase the overall realism and flexibility of human-in-theloop air traffic simulations. MACS is designed to enable many participants to be included in the same simulation, onor off-site. Each MACS station is a platform independent Java program that provides user interfaces and views for pilots, air traffic controllers/managers, airline dispatchers, experiment managers, and observers. Any station can serve as a mid-fidelity input device, an autonomous agent or a display for any perspective of a distributed air traffic management simulation. MACS is laid out for rapid prototyping of user interfaces, air traffic control as well as flight management and guidance functions. Domain and human-factors experts can collaborate with software engineers, quickly prototype new features and operational concepts and evaluate them from different perspectives. In this paper we present some of the currently available views, cover specific research capabilities such as repeatable situation awareness probes, describe the overall simulation layout, and give an example of MACS usage in a Distributed Air Ground simulation study that is currently being conducted at NASA Ames Research Center. Funding for this work was provided by the Advanced Air Transportation Technologies Project of NASA's Airspace Systems Program.

Method for managing resource assets for emergency situations

Abstract: A method for collecting, organizing, presenting, and using data relative to the scene of an emergency situation is disclosed. The method uses a Responder Assets Management System (RAMS) composed of four modules including information, logistics, operations, and planning. The information module makes general information immediately available to responders. The logistics module assists in managing equipment resources during a contingency and includes an equipment manager interface for managing equipment used to respond to an emergency situation. The operations module supports daily operations responsibilities and scales to handle significant emergencies and includes at least one of a situational awareness interface, a response options generator (ROG) interface, an operations manager interface, a messenger interface and a status board interface. The situational awareness interface is designed for emergency and crisis response managers to provide enhanced, community-wide situational awareness using full immersion, spherical images, Geographic Information System (GIS) maps, site and floor plans, and a database interface to provide virtual walk-through, pre-incident plans, for contingency planning, training visualization, and operational support. The ROG interface provides automated response and resource estimates to decision-makers in command posts and on-site in developing a response to significant, unplanned events. The operations manager interface is used by a remote headquarters to monitor an on-going operation. The messenger interface is a pre-formatted, topic oriented messaging system that supports both informational messages and messages that automatically update system data and displays. The status board interface is a situation display of key situational awareness data. The planning module assists users in planning for critical events.

Staged-learning process and system for situational awareness training using integrated media

Abstract: A method and system is disclosed for a staged learning process for situational awareness training using integrated media wherein a mix of classroom lectures, computer-based training and immersive simulation is used to advance the student from an operational stage to a tactical stage to a strategic stage. During the simulation exercises, the student is presented with a realistic interactive driving environment and external stimuli. The simulator measures and records the student's performance, generating a score based on various factors. The student is then able to review his or her performance or parts thereof from multiple perspectives. The process teaches, tests and reinforces situational awareness in drivers through an orderly, consistent “preview, drive, review” procedure and gives the student a level of situational awareness generally achieved by a driver with greater experience.

Introducing Structural Considerations into Complexity Metrics

Abstract: Field observations and focused interviews of Air Traffic Controllers have been used to generate a list of key complexity factors in Air Traffic Control. The underlying structure of the airspace was identified as relevant in many of the factors. A preliminary investigation has revealed that the structure appears to form the basis for

Dynamic density: measuring and predicting sector complexity [ATC]

Abstract: In the present air traffic control system, traffic management personnel use the enhanced traffic management system (ETMS) 'monitor alert' parameter as a strategic planning tool to identify and predict sector traffic complexity, so that strategic and tactical air traffic decisions such as flow modifications, staff planning, and sector redesigns can be planned. The monitor alert parameter is based solely on aircraft count. For several years, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has supported the development of a better method to measure and predict sector complexity, referred to as dynamic density (DD), to provide a more encompassing, useful tool for today's air traffic control environment. This paper reviews a multi-year, multi-organizational research effort to develop and validate several proposed DD metrics. It provides an overview of the DD metrics under consideration, the study approach to collect operational subjective data, and the development and validation of a 'best' DD metric.

Effects of Integrated Graphical Displays on Situation Awareness in Anaesthesiology

Abstract: Anaesthetic information displays have been shown to influence anaesthesiologists’ situation awareness. In study 1 an object display was compared with the traditional display currently used. Twelve anaesthesiologists (residents and faculty members) participated in a simulator evaluation of the displays. Reaction times for detection of critical events and situation awareness were measured. The object display improved situation awareness for one of four test scenarios. Low-level situation awareness was higher with the traditional display, and medium-level situation awareness was higher with the new display. In study 2, an integrated 3D display was compared to the traditional display. Twelve students participated in the evaluation. The new 3D display helped the observers to see changes more rapidly. In one scenario, situation awareness was higher with the new display than with the traditional display. In summary, during 63% of the simulated scenarios, reliable differences were found in favour of the new displays. Thus, by introducing integrated graphical displays in the operating room, anaesthesiologists’ performance may be improved.

Ubiquitous Healthcare: The OnkoNet Mobile Agents Architecture

Abstract: This paper introduces ubiquitous healthcare, addressing the access of health services by individual consumers applying to mobile computing devices. This access requires knowledge about the individual health status, which may involve (as far as available) the current personal situation (e.g., accident), relevant recent diseases etc., current symptoms or already available diagnosis. Addressing the related IT challenges - e.g., patient-centric knowledge processing, situation awareness, local control - we develop in detail the OnkoNet Mobile Agents Architecture involving architectures on the macrolevel and microlevel as well as cooperation protocols, inference models controlling system behaviour, and a health ontology.

Psychological and Psychophysiological Models of Pilot Performance for Systems Development and Mission Evaluation

Abstract: The purpose of our study was to analyze the effects of mission complexity on pilot mental workload, situational awareness, and pilot performance and to develop models by means of structural equatio ...

Unmanned aerial vehicles: MultiUAV: a multiple UAV simulation for investigation of cooperative control

Abstract: This paper describes MultiUAV, a simulation that is capable of simulating multiple unmanned aerospace vehicles which cooperate to accomplish a predefined mission. The simulation was constructed using the Mathwork's Simulink simulation software. Construction of the simulation satisfied the need for a simulation environment that researchers can use to implement and analyze cooperative control algorithms. The simulation is implemented in a hierarchical manner with inter-vehicle communication explicitly modeled. During construction of MultiUAV, issues concerning memory usage and functional encapsulation were addressed. MultiUAV includes plotting tools and links to an external program for post-simulation analysis. Each of the vehicle simulations include six-degree-of-freedom dynamics and embedded flight software. The embedded flight software consists of a collection of managers (agents) that control situational awareness and responses of the vehicles. Managers included in the simulation are: Tactical Maneuvering, Sensor, Target, Cooperation, Route and Weapons.

Effects of display design on performance in a simulated ship navigation environment.

Abstract: Although automation is playing an increasing role on the ship's bridge, empirical research on the effectiveness of alternative bridge designs is limited. In this paper, we describe an experimental study of the benefits of integrated information display, using a computerized simulation of a highly automated ship's bridge. The study compared three types of interface design, which presented radar and electronic chart information to the operator in different ways: (a) integrated display, (b) functionally-separate display, and (c) spatially-separate display. Effects were examined in relation to time on watch and scenario complexity. Following extensive training on the task, 39 participants were tested over a 4-h experimental session, during which they encountered a sequence of collision scenarios of varying complexity. Using a dual-task methodology, a range of measures of primary and secondary task performance were taken, together with assessment of information sampling behaviour and subjective operator state (workload, fatigue, anxiety and situation awareness). The results indicated slight navigational advantages of the integrated display over the two alternative display types, although it also incurred higher levels of operator cost, particularly fatigue. There were no marked effects of time on watch, but more complex scenarios were associated with impaired performance, increased workload and reduced situation awareness. Overall, the findings have suggested some benefits of integrating primary information sources in a ship's bridge environment. The study further confirms the value of experimental simulations as tools for investigating design issues for ship's bridge automation.

Threat evaluation for impact assessment in situation analysis systems

Abstract: Situation analysis is defined as a process, the examination of a situation, its elements, and their relations, to provide and maintain a product, i.e., a state of situation awareness, for the decision maker. Data fusion is a key enabler to meeting the demanding requirements of military situation analysis support systems. According to the data fusion model maintained by the Joint Directors of Laboratories' Data Fusion Group, impact assessment estimates the effects on situations of planned or estimated/predicted actions by the participants, including interactions between action plans of multiple players. In this framework, the appraisal of actual or potential threats is a necessary capability for impact assessment. This paper reviews and discusses in details the fundamental concepts of threat analysis. In particular, threat analysis generally attempts to compute some threat value, for the individual tracks, that estimates the degree of severity with which engagement events will potentially occur. Presenting relevant tracks to the decision maker in some threat list, sorted from the most threatening to the least, is clearly in-line with the cognitive demands associated with threat evaluation. A key parameter in many threat value evaluation techniques is the Closest Point of Approach (CPA). Along this line of thought, threatening tracks are often prioritized based upon which ones will reach their CPA first. Hence, the Time-to-CPA (TCPA), i.e., the time it will take for a track to reach its CPA, is also a key factor. Unfortunately, a typical assumption for the computation of the CPA/TCPA parameters is that the track velocity will remain constant. When a track is maneuvering, the CPA/TCPA values will change accordingly. These changes will in turn impact the threat value computations and, ultimately, the resulting threat list. This is clearly undesirable from a command decision-making perspective. In this regard, the paper briefly discusses threat value stabilization approaches based on neural networks and other mathematical techniques.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

MultiUAV: a multiple UAV simulation for investigation of cooperative control

Abstract: This paper describes MultiUAV, a simulation that is capable of simulating multiple unmanned aerospace vehicles which cooperate to accomplish a predefined mission. The simulation was constructed using the Mathwork's Simulink simulation software. Construction of the simulation satisfied the need for a simulation environment that researchers can use to implement and analyze cooperative control algorithms. The simulation is implemented in a hierarchical manner with inter-vehicle communication explicitly modeled. During construction of MultiUAV, issues concerning memory usage and functional encapsulation were addressed. MultiUAV includes plotting tools and links to an external program for post-simulation analysis. Each of the vehicle simulations include six-degree-of-freedom dynamics and embedded flight software. The embedded flight software consists of a collection of managers (agents) that control situational awareness and responses of the vehicles. Managers included in the simulation are: tactical maneuvering, sensor, target, cooperation, route and weapons.

A Computational Model of Attention/Situation Awareness

Abstract: A computational model of attention and situation awareness (SA) was developed and used to predict pilot errors in the task of taxiing from runway to terminal. The model incorporates a low-level per...

Evaluating a new index of mental workload in real ATC situation using psychophysiological measures

Abstract: One way to improve both capacity and safety in air traffic control (ATC) implies to assist the human operator, while he remains in the decision loop. Designing high performance tools requires a precise tuning in order to interface them efficiently and non-intrusively with the controller, especially in heavy workload contexts. To this end, knowledge of workload sources and fluctuations is essential and has triggered a large number of studies. Surprisingly, there is no universally accepted definition of mental workload: a consensus exists merely to define it as the "cost" of a given task for the operator. Concept of mental load is related to information processing theory Limited capacity of cognitive resources and sequential processing of information define what can be overload. an excessive demand on perceptual and cognitive resources (visual and auditory perception, memory and attention, among others) with respect to information processing capacities. In the present study, we would like to propose a different way to model the link between aircraft configuration and perceived workload.

Using Goal Directed Task Analysis with Army Brigade Officer Teams

Abstract: A greater understanding of team cognitive processes can be facilitated by identifying the individual goals of the team members and their situation awareness (SA) requirements. In some environments, such as military operations, the shear complexity, size, and composition of the team make this research quite challenging. Using a form of cognitive task analysis, we have developed an approach to address some of these team issues. In this paper we discuss the use of goal directed cognitive task analysis (GDTA) to obtain an accurate depiction of the SA requirements and key goals for several brigade officers. We further discuss how this information is being used to address team issues such as designing systems for enhancing team performance and decision making with Army brigade officers.

The impact of structure on cognitive complexity in air traffic control

Abstract: Focused interviews with air traffic controllers and traffic management unit personnel, as well as analysis of traffic flow patterns based on Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) data, suggest that controllers rely on underlying airspace structure to reduce the cognitive complexity of managing an air traffic control situation. To understand how structural elements reduce cognitive complexity, a framework has been developed relating structure, situation awareness, and a controller’s working mental model. It is hypothesized that structure forms the basis for abstractions which simplify a controller’s working mental model. The working mental model is used to support the key tasks of a controller identified by Pawlak (1996): planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating. Three examples of structure-based abstractions have been identified: standard flows, groupings, and critical points. This document is based on the thesis of Jonathan M. Histon submitted to the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Information fusion: a high-level architecture overview

Abstract: Over the past decade the term Fusion has become synonymous with tactical or battle space awareness after hostilities have begun. As such, work has concentrated on object identification, tracking algorithms and. the use of multiple sources for reducing uncertainty and maximizing coverage. As more situations unfold throughout the world, smart strategic decisions must be made before deployment of our limited assets. In order to assess adversarial intent and possible strategic impact, we need to enlarge the present scope of fusion to take into account strategic situation awareness and what information technology can be provided to support it. By doing so, the sooner a situation can be understood in its full context, the more options that become available and the more thoroughly its criticality can be evaluated.

Architectures for Distributed Information Fusion To Support Situation Awareness on the Digital Battlefield

Abstract: Future military battlefield systems, exemplified by the US Army’s Future Combat System initiative, are characterized by the extensive use of mobile sensing systems, unmanned platforms, and decision aiding systems at the lowest levels of the combat force. The effective deployment, control, and exploitation of these capabilities will require the ability to form real-time situational awareness for each warfighter using all information available. In this paper we describe previous work we have done in information fusion, and discuss the unique problems associated with supporting battlefield situational awareness. We present some candidate architectures we have evaluated for performing distributed information fusion, and discuss the approach that we are now pursuing to this problem.

Flight test evaluation of tactical synthetic vision display concepts in a terrain-challenged operating environment

Abstract: NASA's Aviation Safety Program, Synthetic Vision Systems Project is developing display concepts to improve pilot terrain/situational awareness by providing a perspective synthetic view of the outside world through an on-board database driven by precise aircraft position information updating via Global Positioning System-based data. This work is aimed at eliminating visibility-induced errors and low visibility conditions as a causal factor to civil aircraft accidents, as well as replicating the operational benefits of clear day flight operations regardless of the actual outside visibility condition. A flight test evaluation of tactical Synthetic Vision display concepts was recently conducted in the terrain-challenged operating environment of the Eagle County Regional Airport. Several display concepts for head-up displays and head-down displays ranging from ARINC Standard Size A through Size X were tested. Several pilots evaluated these displays for acceptability, usability, and situational/terrain awareness while flying existing commercial airline operating procedures for Eagle County Regional Airport. All tactical Synthetic Vision display concepts provided measurable increases in the pilot's subjective terrain awareness over the baseline aircraft displays. The head-down display presentations yielded better terrain awareness over the head-up display synthetic vision display concepts that were tested. Limitations in the head-up display concepts were uncovered that suggest further research.

Structure, Intent and Conformance Monitoring in ATC

Abstract: Infield studies of current Air Traffic Control operations it is found that controllers rely on underlying airspace structure to reduce the complexity of the planning and conformance monitoring tasks. The structure appears to influence the controller's working mental model through abstractions that reduce the apparent cognitive complexity. These structure-based abstractions are useful for the controller's key tasks of planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating tactical situations. In addition, the structure-based abstractions appear to be important in the maintenance of Situation Awareness. The process of conformance monitoring is analyzed in more detail and an approach to conformance monitoring which utilizes both the structure-based abstractions and intent is presented.

A method and system for improving situational awareness of command and control units

Abstract: A method for sharing visual situational information of objects among a number of command and control units. The method includes the steps of providing to each command and control unit a mechanism for storing a digital reference map of a geographical area, receiving by one or more command and control unit an image of a scene which includes one or more object within the geographical area, registration of the received image of the scene to the digital reference map, updating a situational information of the object in the reference map, and transferring the updating of the situational information to one or more other command and control unit.

Automation tools for enhancing ground-operation situation awareness and flow efficiency

Abstract: In view of the ever-increasing air traffic, much attention in air-traffic-management research has been given to improving arrival and departure efficiency. As air traffic begins and ends at the airport, the issues of taxi delays and ground-operation incursions become more pressing. This paper considers the surface-traffic problem at major airports and envisions a collaborative traffic and aircraft control environment where a surface traffic automation system will help coordinate surface traffic movements. A previous study has established the performance potential of advanced guidance and control of a transport aircraft to deliver high-precision taxi capability. Such an aircraft capability will provide the surface traffic automation system with the flexibility to issue taxi clearances with tight time margins, in an effort to reduce taxi delays. An example is the ability to clear taxiing aircraft to cross active runways within a precise time window, without the need for the aircraft to hold short of the runways and unnecessarily increase taxi delay while waiting for the opportunity to cross. This paper describes the development of a surface traffic automation system, known as Ground-Operation Situation Awareness and Flow Efficiency (GO-SAFE). The GO-SAFE system is designed to work with advanced surveillance and communications technologies, and anticipated air traffic automation systems under development. It includes tools to help the ground controller with predicted traffic information, functionality to manipulate taxi routes, and advanced capabilities to schedule runway usage to accommodate landing, takeoff, and crossing traffic. Some of the GO-SAFE functionality will be useful for current-day operations, and its advanced tools will provide maximum benefit when integrated with advanced aircraft taxi control capabilities.

Collaborative automation systems for enhancing airport surface traffic efficiency and safety

Abstract: Airport congestion constitutes a key traffic capacity problem in the national airspace system. This paper considers a concept for improving the surface operations at major airports through the use of automation to manage the complex traffic. The concept includes advanced surface-traffic-control automation and flight-deck automation, and it builds on advanced communication, navigation, and surveillance technologies to achieve a seamless integration of these two major components. The surface-traffic-control automation is based on the ground-operation situation awareness and flow efficiency (GO-SAFE) concept previously proposed and studied to enable more efficient usage of runways, especially in situations where active-runway crossing constitutes a significant taxi delay problem. To help achieve the potential GO-SAFE benefits, the flight-deck automation for reliable ground operation (FARGO) concept is proposed to provide the necessary flight-deck automation for enabling precision taxi control to comply with GO-SAFE advisories. The integrated system with highly coordinated automation systems will push the envelope of surface traffic performance to enhance capacity without compromising safety and taxi performance.