Testing a Multidimensional Nonveridical Aircraft Collision Avoidance System

Abstract

This study explores operators' ability to use a multidimensional, nonveridical control display. Veridical displays represent realistic scenes. State space displays represent nonveridical n-dimensional information based on informative coordinate axes plus variable features such as color and shading. Empirical investigation of state space displays is relatively new to human factors research. Twelve licensed general aviation pilots flew flight scenarios, trying to deviate as little as possible from a preassigned course while still maintaining standard en route separation from traffic. Flight performance using only a veridical cockpit display of traffic information (CDTI) was compared with performance using the CDTI augmented by a 4-D nonveridical state space collision avoidance system (CDTI+4CAS). Using moderate traffic density and complex traffic geometry, the CDTI+4CAS condition showed performance superiority over the baseline CDTI-only condition for five of five dependent measures of maneuver efficiency, four of four measures of maneuver safety, and six of nine measures of user workload. Results suggest that nonveridical information display may enhance operator performance on a control task involving simultaneous processing of multidimensional information. Nonveridical information displays have potential application wherever human control of multidimensional processes is involved.