Investigating situation awareness via visual exploration in high-intensity multi-agent activity using wearable technology

Abstract

Introduction: In team-based high-performance environments, such as combat and team sports, bouts of high- and low-intensity activity are interspersed, with bouts of high-intensity activity being central to key goal related and attacking events. Hence, an adequate distribution of energy expenditure is imperative to complete performance tasks effectively. This requires agents to possess strong situational awareness and to make important choices about what actions to prioritise1. Our research in team sport highlights that the decisions agents make are closely associated with the affordances that surround them2 and the visual exploratory actions (also termed scanning) that are required to establish awareness of these affordances3.