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The advantage of a head-up auditory display was evaluated in a preliminary experiment designed to measure and compare the acquisition time for capturing visual targets under two auditory conditions: standard one-earpiece presentation and two-earpiece three-dimensional (3D) audio presentation. Twelve commercial airline crews were tested under full mission simulation conditions at the NASA Ames Man-Vehicle Systems Research Facility advanced concepts flight simulator. Scenario software generated visual targets corresponding to aircraft that would activate a traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) aural advisory; the spatial auditory position was linked to the visual position with 3D audio presentation. Results showed that crew members using a 3D auditory display acquired targets approximately 2.2 s faster than did crew members who used one-earpiece headsets, but there was no significant difference in the number of targets acquired.

This study evaluated the attitude information conveyance of a new aircraft attitude display concept. The new symbology format, called the THETA symbology, was developed by integrating the shape of the conventional ADI and the transparency of the HUD into a single format. This research addressed whether or not there was a significant performance advantage or decrement incurred by the symbology integration. The THETA symbology, ADI, and HUD were evaluated during an attitude maintenance task and an attitude recovery task. The results of the study suggest few differences between the THETA and ADI formats while performance and training time were better with both the THETA symbology and the ADI than with the HUD format. The findings of the study lend support to the hypothesis that an attitude display formed of the integration of ADI and HUD type symbology will demonstrate a performance benefit over a pure HUD format. Display, Attitude, Symbology, Recovery task.

A backlighting system which utilizes a VF Display as the light source allows electro-mechanical instrument clusters to have a laminated construction that reduces their depth to approximately 20% of existing E/M clusters. The VFD light source may contain digital data and/or telltale segments to provide combined functions and reduced cost while tremendously improving quality and reliability. The light distribution system is designed to virtually eliminate lighting development and prototyping leadtime by allowing graphics and pointers to be indiscriminately moved within the cluster without affecting brightness and uniformity. Standardized lighting systems are easily achieved while still maintaining aesthetic flexibility. The backlighting system was developed to utilize flexible, manufacturing processes that allow multiple instrument cluster designs or families to be produced on the same assembly line.

A new navigation system which utilizes voice synthesis function was developed and installed. This paper reports the details of the navigation system. It was developed with the aim of providing a system which is capable of reducing the workload on the driver and helping the driver reach his destination smoothly and more safely than with the use of the conventional system. This system has the following features: (1) Displays digital mapping information by means of a full-color TFT-LCD (Thin Film Transistor-Liquid Crystal Display) incorporated in the instrument panel; (2) Automatic location of present position through combination of map matching and GPS (Global Positioning System); (3) Automatic determination of typical route to reach a destination which can be specified by means of address, telephone number or name, and display of the route in the map; (4) Direction of the route through synthesized voice of high quality, using proper nouns including the names of intersections and destination of expressway, which are stored on the eight CD-ROMs (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory); (5) Automatic display of intersection routing diagram which allows one to make sure of the direction to go and features of the intersection; and (6) "Re-search route" function which can easily change the route even when running. This paper describes the construction of the navigation system and the voice advisories.

Nu-Tech & Engineering, Inc., has developed a new aftermarket Analog Head Up Display. This new product combines preferred analog instruments with projection heads-up display optics. New technology has allowed multiple analog movements to be contained in a small, low-cost package making HUD technology available to more consumers. The combination of the analog movements with a high intensity VFD light source is the heart of this new product design. A unique mounting configuration for this new display system eliminates "image bounce". The low-profile package and separately mounted optical combiner easily adapts the system to aftermarket sales and/or dealer installations.

A Vacuum Fluorescent Display (VFD) is widely accepted as a superior display device because of its impressive self-luminance and high reliability. VFDs for automotive applications have been used to convert signals to visual digital information. Now, in addition to digital style images, analog image displays are being requested for a wider choice of style. Furthermore, bright and clear display appearance and additional function are feasible by adapting the VFD technology to a pointer display application like mechanical speedometers or tachometers. This paper discusses the development of the large scale analog pointer image VFD for automotive use.

The United States Air Force realizes there is great benefit to be gained from helmet-mounted display (HMD)technology when compared with traditional head-down displays. HMDs reduce military aircrew workload and improvetheir performance by mounting information display systems directly on the crew member's helmet. As the crew memberconcentrates outside the cockpit, information essential for successful mission execution remains within his field-of-view;regardless of his head position. However, mounting a display system on the helmet presents many design and safetyrelated challenges.The Air Force's Interim - Night Integrated Goggle and Head Tracking System (I-NIGHTS) Program identifiedmany of the challenges associated with HMDs. Three of these challenges discussed here are fit, weight/center-of-gravity,and ejection compatibility. Fitting a HMD involves more than just getting a head inside the helmet. The "fit equation"includes comfort, optical accommodation, and helmet stability. The lack of effective design in just one of these factorscan negate any tactical advantage the HMD provides. HMDs also add to the weight supported by the crew member'shead and neck. This weight generates significant forces during high G maneuvers and emergency situations such asejection. How much weight and what center-of-gravity can the neck tolerate without injury or fatality? The Air ForceI-NIGHTS Program encountered these challenges and serves as a starting point to bound their solutions.1. INTRODUCTIONAircrews, civilian and military, work in a demanding, complex environment. Flying demands constant attentionto factors and events both inside and outside the cockpit. These factors include aircraft attitude, heading, airspeed,altitude, engine instruments, electrical and hydraulic systems, traffic, weather, terrain, and communications. All requireconstant monitoring, cross-checking, mental calculations, split second decisions, and poise under extreme pressure. Addto this, the stress of flying at 500 feet, traveling at 500 knots, over hilly terrain with surface-to-air missile systems tryingto shoot you down. All you have to do is accomplish the mission objective: put the weapon on the target and surviveto tell about it.Performing this near impossible feat requires volumes of information. In addition to "flying the airframe,"aircrews are information managers. To survive they must have information. They are constantly sorting bits of data

As cars become more sophisticated, there is a corresponding increase in the range of information which needs to be presented to drivers. This increased information load is beyond the scope of conventional technology; space requirements on the dashboard limit the number of displays, which can be employed. The study reported in this paper is based on the premise that centralized information presentation could be employed for in-car warming systems. Forty subjects were tested on a computer-based task, in which they had to rate the urgency of displayed information. The information was presented in one of four formats: symbols only, symbols plus title, symbols plus action, or symbol, title and action. Results show that the most effective type of display for urgency rating was symbol plus action, and that symbol, title and action produced the fastest reaction times. These results are considered in terms of previous research, and implications for the design of in-car warnings are discussed.

Describes the most recent version of the Toyota Electro-Multivision system which incorporates map matching technology and dead reckoning using satellite-emitted waves. It offers navigation function (map display, location, route guidance) display based on detailed map data.

This paper describes a Chip In Glass Fluorescent Indicator Panel (CIG-FIP) which is advantageous in that it reduces the number of external connections required in graphic display panels for information display systems.

Several aspects of visual functioning deteriorate as part of the normal aging process. These include a reduction in luminance and color contrast sensitivity, an increase in sensitivity to glare, a reduction in visual accommodation capacity, and a reduction in the sensitivity to light. In combination these visual deficits can make reading instrument panel display symbols (i.e., lettering and graphics) difficult for the older driver. This report provides basic guidelines and references that can be considered when setting photometric guidelines for instrument panel displays that are designed to accommodate the older driver.

This paper describes the concept of a Chip in Glass (CIG) driver for use in a fluorescent indicator panel (FIP) in automobile information display systems. The driver has keyboard scan and brightness control functions in a fluorescent indicator panel.

This paper studies the optimum number of display colors and ranges of chromaticity for road users to correctly recognize information display systems in a short time period. Factors assessed included categorical color technique and chromaticity regions allowing for the most effective color discrimination. Results indicated that the optimum number of display colors is nine.

Modern airports are being equipped with an ever growing number of modern electronic systems for specific tasks: Baggage Handling Systems (BHS), Flight Information Display Systems (FIDS), Departure Control Systems (DCS), Weight & Balance Systems; Common Used Terminal Equipment (CUTE) Systems; Building Management Systems (BMS), Access Control Systems (ACS), Airport Operation Databases (AODB), Resource Management Systems (RMS) ... there is virtually no end to the list. Nevertheless, many airports are still difficult to navigate for passengers, still have to face departure delays and frequent changes in operations, and still miss substantial revenue opportunities or waste money because of unused resources of every kind. Key to using all those powerful systems to their full capacity and reaping all their benefits is bringing them into tune. A task that is commonly known is the System Integration by using Message Broker solutions. This rather technical term subsumes all activities aimed at establishing the physical connection of disparate systems. The concept of system integration is one step beyond the simple installation of cables and the translation of a few protocols. This paper provides details on the Integration Message Broker solutions in the airport information system industry.

The prospect of using a touch screen to interact with navigation displays led us to develop and evaluate three reduced-size, touch screen keyboards. One keyboard had a standard QWERTY layout; another had a modified QWERTY layout with keys aligned in a matrix; the third had a matrix of keys arranged in alphabetical order. Twenty adults varying in age and typing ability participated in the evaluation. Test results showed that subjects typed 25-26% faster on the QWERTY keyboards than on the alphabetical keyboard. The difference in typing speed between the two QWERTY keyboards was not significant. Additionally, differences in error rates among the three keyboards were not significantly different. Eleven out of 20 subjects preferred the standard QWERTY keyboard; 6 preferred the modified QWERTY keyboard; 3 preferred the alphabetical keyboard. These test results suggest that a reduced-size keyboard should employ a standard QWERTY key arrangement to achieve maximum usability.

The TravTek vehicle provides an information-rich multifunction environment for the driver, necessitating extensive teamwork in human factors engineering the displays and controls for efficient and safe operation. Example map and text screens are presented.

SAE's Database Standards Task Group is addressing digital street map databases to support vehicle navigation. The initial work of the Task Group is to develop a descriptive "truth-in-labeling" standard to permit database vendors to consistently and accurately describe their products and to permit application developers to match available databases to their needs. The truth-in-labeling standard consists of definitions to identify database entities, metrics to provide scales against which entity quality can measured, and tests to score the entities along metrics. The general classes of entities being considered are nodes (e.g., roadway intersections), links (e.g., roadway segments), and regions (e.g., cities, parks, shopping malls, etc.). Among the issues being considered are: how to facilitate broadcasts of traffic information to vehicles using navigable databases; approaches to dealing with roads with multiple names; roadway classifications; and coordination with similar efforts in other parts of the world.

This paper proposes a simple model to provide a framework for investigating human behaviour with Vehicle Navigation Aids (VNA). The model consist of planning, decision making, control, and perception. Decisions are made by comparing perceived cues from the outside view with expected cues from planning. VNA assists mainly in dynamic planning, providing support and updating to the cognitive map navigators have of their environment. Unlike other models of vehicle navigation systems that emphasize the Driver-Machine interaction in navigation, the proposed model presents navigation decisions as a dynamic process of comparing and integrating the very important outside view with information from VNA displays. The implications of the model for using multiple modal displays, for timing and pacing of information, and for visual attention competition are discussed.

Intelligent Vehicle Highway Systems (IVHS) are being developed to facilitate safety and efficiency for roadway users. To avoid congestion and improve route guidance, information has to be presented to the driver in a timely and digestible format. Currently, there are few methods by which an increase in such information load can be presented safely and effectively. The present experiments examine headup displays as one method of presenting this navigational information. A vital facet of information presentation is synthesis and management, such that displays do not overload drivers and create safety hazards in and of themselves. To evaluate displays in a controlled environment, the present experiments were conducted in a fixed-base simulation facility. The first experiment evaluated the differences in driver response to alpha-numeric versus iconic headup displays. The second experiment compared ego-centered against fixed-based map representations of geographical information. Results indicate the superiority of iconic headup displays and ego-centered maps.

This paper describes a multicolor Chip In Glass Fluorescent Indicator Panel (CIG-FIP) that has been designed for use in air conditioning display systems for automobiles.

Three experiments were carried out into aspects of CRT display in the context of driving automobiles. The first focused on the combination of colours which renders information 'easy-to-read', and determined the relationship between luminance contrast and chromaticity difference. In the second a background luminance which was not dazzling at night was expressed in a chromaticity diagram. In the third the amount of information which can be read 'at-a-glance' was investigated. Language: en

We report two experiments in which different features of the display of multiple channels of information are varied in their proximity to one another. The display presents three indicators of aircraft stall danger (airspeed, flaps, and bank). On some trials the stall danger is estimated, requiring information integration. On other trials the value of individual indicators is estimated, requiring focused attention. In Experiment 1 the spatial proximity between indicators and their distinctiveness in color were manipulated. Spatial proximity had little effect on either focused attention or integration, whereas a distinct color code improved focused attention and disrupted integration. In Experiment 2 the three indicators were presented as a bar graph or were combined as features of an object display, either with or without color coding of the separate dimension. Relative to the bar graph display, the object display improved information integration but disrupted focused attention. The presence of color borders restored the focused attention accuracy, with a slight cost to response time.

The format and utility of cockpit displays of traffic information (CDTIs) are an important research and development topic within the aviation human factors community. The paper examines some of the more advance surveillance technologies that increase the amount and fidelity of information available to the cockpit.

The Thin-film Micromirror Array (TMA) is a new reflective type spatial light modulator fabricated with the optical microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. A working projector prototype of 5,400 true ANSI lumen was presented at the Asian Display 1998 with three VGA format TMA modules and a 1 kW Xenon lamp. The prototype showed the optical efficiency of 22%, which was the highest optical efficiency among all the reflective and transmissive light modulators in the world. For the commercial projectors, XGA f mat TMA is under development. The size of a micromirror of VGA format TMA is 97 μm by 97 μm while the size of eaxh micromirror of XGA format TMA is 50 μm by 50 μm. Efforts have been made to maintain the optical efficiency of the XGA TMA projector same as that of the VGA TMA projector. TMA projector prototype is brighter than any competing technology projectors in the world at the same lamp power, at least three times or more. The simplicity of the underlying principle and the highest optical efficiency of TMA enables high-brightness and cost competitive projection displays which has been a dream in the past.

This paper gives a comparative overview of information display systems for automobiles. It first discusses the requires that an automobile places upon display technology. It then discusses the advantages of electronic displays such as LED, vacuum fluorescent, twisted nematic LCD, and larger passive matrix and active matrix LCD. The paper notes that the coming wave of mobile computing with multimedia products will hasten the need for reconfigurable, full color displays in greater array sizes.

This paper looks at automotive display requirements, with an emphasis on the European situation. It also reviews candidate display technologies.

Performance of operators in aviation systems is highly dependent on their ability to visually scan information sources, identify problematic situations, and respond appropriately. Scanning behavior has often been mentioned as a contributing factor in the performance of air traffic controllers. An investigation was initiated to identity how alterations in various gaze measures could serve as indices of changes in alertness. As part of that larger investigation, a subset of the complete data base was used to investigate the nature of changes in eye and head movements within a session, between days, and among event types. Ten subjects were chosen for their propensity to make head movements when shifting gaze from the CRT display to the keypad for a manual response. The task consisted of 44 infrequently occurring events for which manual responses were required. There were 4 types of events; Unidentified Aircraft, Loss of Altitude, Conflict (2 aircraft at the same altitude flying toward each other), No Conflict (2 aircraft at the same altitude flying away from each other). The 2-hour session was divided into 3 approximately equal time blocks. The dependent measures were: eye movement latency, head movement latency, and the eye movement following the manual response that returned the eye to the visual display (return saccades). Eye and head movement latencies were measured from the manual response. The following conclusions were made: There were no significant eye-head movement differences among the event types. The relationship between the initiation of head movements and the initiation of eye movements appears to be a stable characteristic of the individual; it was consistent between days, as well as within the session.

A system has been developed that graphically re-creates the radar data recorded at En Route air traffic control (ATC) facilities. Each facility records data sent to the displays associated with the airspace under its control on a System Analysis Report (SAR) tape. SATORI (Situation Assessment Through Re-creation of Incidents) overlays the SAR data on the appropriate sector maps using map data from the Adaptation Control Environmental System (ACES) database. The analog switch display settings of the plan view display (PVD) are not recorded; however, subroutines have been written for SATORI that allow the display to be set up with the settings reported to have been used by a given controller. In addition, SATORI has the capability to display the high and low weather intensity that was displayed on a given PVD. All software routines written for SATORI use Open System Foundation (OSF) technology. Similar data to those available from En Route facilities are recorded at Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) facilities and should allow for the development of a re-creation tool much like the one discussed in this report. Once SATORI is developed and evaluated, it will be possible to accomplish the goals of evaluating system designs, over-the-shoulder appraisals, training outcomes, procedures, airspace design, and measuring controller performance. Not only will the capabilities and features of SATORI provide those interested in air traffic with a valuable tool for assessing the dynamics of the air traffic situation, but additionally, and more importantly, the Agency will be in a better position to bring about effective change in future ATC systems.

Two groups of six young and healthy subjects were used in this study to investigate the lateral path deviations when driving in a straight path with the eyes fixated on the road ahead, when driving while reading information inside of the automobile, and when driving with the eyes closed. Each group of subjects drove a typical large car and a typical small car at a fixed speed of 30 mph. An unused 2000 foot long and 75 foot wide, level, concrete airport runway was used to conduct the experiment. Each subject made three runs under each of the three conditions with the large car and with the small car (18 runs total). The lateral path deviations from the longitudinal centerline of the car to the centerline of the runway were measured every 15 feet for a distance of 705 feet. A device which dripped liquid dye was attached to the center of the rear bumper of the automobiles to indicate their paths. The results of this study show that the average lateral standard deviations for driving with the eyes fixated upon the road ahead were between 5.5″ and 11.3″. The difference in the lateral standard deviations for large and small automobiles was statistically not significant for distances between 100 and 500 feet from the starting point for the three conditions tested. The lateral standard deviation was smaller for reading text within the automobile than for driving with the eyes closed, and was statistically significant after an occlusion distance of 225 feet or an occlusion time of about 5 seconds. Using a constant of 0.041, the fundamental relationship between the lateral standard deviation, the speed, and the occlusion distance developed by Zwahlen and Balasubramanian (1974) fits the data for reading text inside of the automobile while driving fairly well. This constant is approximately one half of that which has been used for driving with the eyes closed (0.076) in this study. Based upon the results of this study, the development and introduction of sophisticated in-vehicle displays and/or touch panels should be halted and their safety aspects with regard to information aquisition, information processing, and driver control actions should be critically evaluated.

The U.S. Navy, through a contract with MYSTECH ASSOCIATES, INC., has developed an advanced proto-type navigational system called MATCH-NAV, which utilizes a mini-computer to provide automated own-ship geographic position in inshore, coastal navigation situations. Conceptual development of MATCH-NAV has demonstrated the capability to provide ownship position display on digitized nautical charts, with overlay of the chart data on a radar Plan Position Indicator (PPI). Future plans include utilization of the MATCH-NAV concept in design of a completely automated Ownship Position Display having stored nautical chart capability, which can accept navigational data inputs from such ship's sensors as Loran-C, Omega, radar and other precision electronic navigation systems, including satelite systems. The goal—to provide continuous, accurate, real-time visual display of ship's position in restricted coastal waters. This paper discusses the MATCH-NAV concept and its potential applications in future inshore navigation.

The provision of precise radio navigation systems in United States harbors and waterways will ultimately permit safe, all weather pilotage of vessels in restricted waters, using handheld or bridge mounted electronic navigation displays. The safety of such operations is integrally dependent upon radio signal/noise characteristics, system filtering and aiding methods, and the human engineered design of information displays. Quantification of these relationships is required to provide the system engineer with standards for overall design. This paper describes the first of three experiments to parametrically address the above issues. The experiment was conducted on a real-time simulator that replicates the hydrodynamic response characteristics of a 30,000 dwt tanker in a narrow channel. Various radio aids to navigation display concepts, which are representative of high, medium, and low implementation costs in today's technology, were evaluated. The presentation of information on each display was varied to determine which format contributed most significantly to improved pilotage performance, when performance is defined to be vessel-track variability over a number of sequential experiments. The experiment concluded with recommendations for elimination of some formats, modification of others, and inclusion of two additional ones in a subsequent more stringent simulator evaluation. Measures of performance and detailed design recommendations are discussed.

This paper describes the construction and performance of an LED numeric display designed specifically for aircraft cockpit applications. The display, using yellow or green LED chips, is a 4-character 7-bar numeric with 4-mm character height mounted in a hermetically sealed package to meet full military device specifications. Legibility studies are reported for this display in ambient illuminations up to 100 000 lux, using different, commercially available contrast-enhancement filters. The results show that the display is completely legible in the highest illumination for a relatively modest power consumption.

An overabundance of warning, caution, and advisory alerts will exist in the cockpits of future commercial transport aircraft if current cockpit design trends are not altered. Coupled with this proliferation of alerts is a lack of correlation between alert-type applications and significance. The potential for pilot saturation and/or confusion exists with these alerts. A study was performed for the FAA to identify these problem areas and to develop design guidelines for alerting systems in new aircraft. Recommendations resulting therefrom include: 1) improve pilots' audio/visual environment by minimizing exposure to unnecessary alerts; 2) incorporate central alphanumeric alert readout devices; and 3) improve categorization and/or prioritization of alerts.

Information Display Systems for 650MW Coal Fired Plant covers selection of and operating experience with alarms for display in the Plant Main Control Room. Number and priority of alarms for Window Annunciators, CRT, and Printers and their aid to the operator are discussed. Equipment features which have evolved over several power station designs are explained. The paper is a supplement to Working Group in preparation of IEEE Application Guide P-676, and is a report on operating experience with some of the concepts of this work.

This paper reports on the preliminary results of a research effort being performed for the Department of Energy to investigate and evaluate methods of providing feedback to automobile drivers during vehicle operation which will help to promote fuel conservation. Popular so called “trip computers” and other fuel conservation devices are evaluated in the laboratory and on the highway. System concepts are developed to provide visual and auditory feedback to the operator utilizing appropriate locations for additional on-board displays. A variety of feedback devices are installed in a test vehicle for evaluation of user preference and the effectiveness of the device in promoting fuel conservation.

In existing man-machine systems, the human operator is typically presented a predesigned display and he must adapt his control techniques in an attempt to optimize overall system performance. Ultimate performance achieved may not rise to the designer's expectation or to the operator's capability because the design process does not account for the operator's adaptability. In this research program, ship control performance of the Officer of the Deck (OOD) was observed and analyzed in a series of simulator experiments involving ship transit and obstacle avoidance. Three types of displays were included in the analysis. OOD control rules, and measures and criteria which describe the control technique used, as well as the criteria employed in controlling the ship, were derived from the individual performance data. The effect of display type on the measures and criteria which were apparently optimized by the subjects was determined. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis results show that performance differences between OLD and PACS, and RVV and PACS displays are significant at the α = 0.10 level. Summary measures which reveal this performance difference are time-to-CPA and distance travelled. Results confirm that time-to-CPA is an important measure since with it significant differences in performance can be shown. Analysis results also reveal the nature of the performance differences. From these results it is concluded not only that there are significant differences in performance with different displays, but also that performance measures which detect responses leading to a critical condition are more sensitive than summary measures of the critical conditions themselves. Analysis results reveal that models of human operators controlling ships must include a purview factor. The purview factor used here was a radius within which a contact is considered. The model ignores contacts outside that radius. The purview function is required to represent all performances, i.e., without regard to display type. The effect of OMAC parameter values on the comparison of optimal control to the subject control data obtained in the experiment. Results show that performance is at least a function of transit time and CPA/TCPA weighting as well as purview. Results suggests that for the contact density of the experiment problem, PACS and RVV can be rated as at least 12.5 mile displays and that OLD is a 10 mile display. Consider now the primary purpose of the research as identified by the four questions presented in the introduction which concern methods of modeling the human operator. A method of computing the apparent OMAC from a set of candidate OMAC, has been demonstrated. The apparent OMAC has the parameter values of those analyzed that provide the best comparison to the experimental data. Also demonstrated is a method for using the OMAC to predict operator control actions in specific problem situations. The method uses an optimal control synthesis employing the representative OMAC as the criteria. It is important to know whether or not a display configuration can affect the apparent OMAC. The results described here show that performance with different displays is significantly different and also, the results support the hypothesis that purview changes with display type.