Impact of Heads-Up Displays on Small Unmanned Aircraft System Operator Situation Awareness and Performance: A Simulated Study

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effect of two interface types on operator situation awareness (SA), performance, and workload for small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) search and rescue operations in a simulated computer-based task. The first interface type was a simulated, traditional, heads-down display (HDD) in which system information was presented separately from the view of the aircraft and the environment. The second interface type was a simulated, heads-up display (HUDs) in which the system information was overlaid on the environmental view. Results revealed a significant effect of interface type on SA, with the simulated HUD resulting in significantly higher objective SA. Interface type was found to have no significant effect on workload, performance, or subjective SA. Additionally, interactions between the order of display presentation and operator experience level were explored. This paper presents associated methods, results, and implications.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Summer Rebensky

Summer Rebensky is a postdoctoral researcher with the Air Force Research Lab. She received her B.A. in Psychology, M.S. in Aviation Human Factors, and Ph.D. in Aviation Sciences with a focus in Human Factors from Florida Tech. She has five years of experience studying interfaces, virtual environments, and training.

Meredith Carroll

Meredith Carroll is a Professor of Aviation Human Factors at Florida Institute of Technology. She has nearly 20 years of experience studying human/team performance and training in complex systems, with focuses in cognition and learning, decision making, human-machine teaming, training system design/evaluation, and performance assessment.

Winston Bennett

Winston Bennett “Wink” Bennett is a Senior Principal Research Psychologist and Readiness Product Line Lead for the Warfighter Readiness Research Division, Airman Systems Directorate, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory. Wink is recognized leader in education, training, competency definition and assessment and performance measurement research.

Xueyu Hu

Xueyu Hu is a software engineer with the GRILL (Gaming Research Integration for Learning Laboratory). He received his Bachelor's of Science in Electrical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He has five years of experience in designing and building simulations using commercial off the shelf game engines.