Navigation Aids: Effects on Crew Workload and Performance

Abstract

In advanced technological applications, there is a constant need to ensure that the design of the human–machine interface does not add to operator workload. This is particularly true in applications that involve safety-critical and life-threatening situations, such as those encountered in armored vehicles during combat. In this study, we examined the concept of providing the drivers of these vehicles with a new form of electronic navigation aid, which was predicted to reduce workload levels. Experiments indicated that using these digital maps significantly reduced overall crew workload, primarily due to significantly decreased workload of the driver working with the digital map. Furthermore, the new maps improved the performance of keeping to the determined route and the performance of the commander's secondary task of reporting the number of stationary vehicles. This reduced workload plus increased performance was hypothesized to be due to display output compatibility of the digital map considered in the context of the multiple resource model, as developed by Wickens (1992). It was concluded that design options for navigation information could be assessed in conjunction with multiple resource theory, which provides an appropriate framework for consideration of navigation aids in this environment.