Effects of Simulator Motion Feedback on Training of Skill-Based Control Behavior

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a quasi-transfer-of-training experiment performed in the SIMONA Research Simulator at Delft University of Technology. The goal of the experiment was to quantify the effects of simulator motion feedback on the training of skill-based human operator control behavior using multimodal human operator modeling techniques. In the experiment, 24 task-naive participants, divided over two groups, were trained in performing a skill-based compensatory pitch tracking task. The first group was trained in a fixed-base setting and transferred to a moving-base condition; the second group trained with motion feedback and then transferred to the fixed-base condition. The group that received initial moving-base training showed quick adaptation of their control behavior upon transfer to the fixed-base setting and limited further learning. The group that trained in the fixed-base condition showed only limited transfer of their learned control strategy to the moving-base setting. After transfer, this group initially continued to rely exclusively on visual feedback, as indicated by very low identified motion response gains, and required an amount of moving-base training identical to the other group to develop multimodal control behavior. These results suggest that motion feedback is required for effective initial simulator-based training of skill-based manual control.