Towards a Mixed Reality Platform for Applied Cognitive Load Evaluation

Abstract

Physical load experienced by dismounted military has already been studied extensively. Few studies, however, have focused on the cognitive load of dismounted soldiers during military operations in the field. In this project, a cognitive task analysis (CTA) was performed to study the cognitive workload of a troop commander during troop hasty attack trainings by the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps. Observations, interviews and questionnaires were used to study the cognitive load. The experienced cognitive and physical load was rated as high and the various phases of the attack contributed to this load differently. The CTA revealed that the cognitive tasks during the hasty attack were performed while being physically active or directly after heavy physical effort. This means that cognitive task performance should not be studied in isolation and the presence of physical activity may be an important factor moderating cognitive performance. The CTA further showed that situational awareness, task switching, and communication are important cognitive skills used by the troop commander. These findings are used to develop a mixed reality platform that can be used to investigate the effects of new technological innovations on cognitive performance under conditions mimicking real-life situations, while controlling for potential confounding variables. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2019.