Sub-Task 1-4. Metrics and Models of Range and Closure Perception

---

Progress  |  References

Background

The operator's ability to reliably and accurately estimate target range and closure rates is relied upon in many vehicular control tasks. In modern aircraft, pilots may rely on synthetic displays rather than windows. Further, there are strong incentives to maintain airline operations when visual conditions become degraded. Thus, it is critical to understand how pilots extract range and closure rate information from traditional and perspective displays, and how these processes are impacted when information sources are degraded, absent, or in conflict with other visual cues.

Objectives

The program goal is to provide guidelines for perspective displays for vehicular control, and evaluation tools to determine the likelihood of pilot error/disorientation under various display and visibility conditions.

Approach

Develop models for human performance and evaluate their ability to predict human performance (especially errors) in low, mid- and high fidelity vehicle control simulations.

Level 3 Milestones

FY98 Preliminary human depth-Cue model.
FY98 Control/analysis software to examine depth-cue integration during active control tasks.
FY99 Validation of depth-cue integration model.
FY99 Refined analysis tools for examining depth-cue integration.
FY00 Refined depth-cue integration model.
FY01 Extension of depth-cue model to cue conflict situations.
FY02 Assessment of depth-cue integration model robustness across individuals and situations.
FY03 Guidelines and evaluation tools for 3-D displays to ensure accurate pilot depth perception.

Points of Contact

Mary K. Kaiser

(650) 604-4448
(650) 604-0255 (FAX)

mkaiser@mail.arc.nasa.gov

 

Barb T. Sweet

(650) 604-0006
(650) 604-0255 (FAX)

bsweet@mail.arc.nasa.gov