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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1983

Measuring pilot workload in a moving-base simulator. I Asynchronous secondary choice-reaction task

The de facto method for measuring airplane pilot workload is based upon subjective ratings. While researchers agree that such subjective data should be bolstered by using objective behavioral measures, results to date have been mixed. No clear objective technique has surfaced as the metric of choice. It is believed that this difficulty is in part due to neglect of theoretical work in psychology that predicts some of the difficulties that are inherent in a futile search for 'the one and only' best secondary task to measure workload. An initial study that used both subjective ratings and an asynchronous choice-reaction secondary task was conducted to determine if such a secondary task could indeed meet the methodological constraints imposed by current theories of attention. Two variants of a flight scenario were combined with two levels of the secondary task. Appropriate single-task control conditions were also included. Results give grounds for cautious optimism but indicate that future research should use synchronous secondary tasks where possible.

Kantowitz, B. H.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Aircraft Fault Detection and Classification Using Multi-Level Immune Learning Detection

This work is an extension of a recently developed software tool called MILD (Multi-level Immune Learning Detection), which implements a negative selection algorithm for anomaly and fault detection that is inspired by the human immune system. The immunity-based approach can detect a broad spectrum of known and unforeseen faults. We extend MILD by applying a neural network classifier to identify the pattern of fault detectors that are activated during fault detection. Consequently, MILD now performs fault detection and identification of the system under investigation. This paper describes the application of MILD to detect and classify faults of a generic transport aircraft augmented with an intelligent flight controller. The intelligent control architecture is designed to accommodate faults without the need to explicitly identify them. Adding knowledge about the existence and type of a fault will improve the handling qualities of a degraded aircraft and impact tactical and strategic maneuvering decisions. In addition, providing fault information to the pilot is important for maintaining situational awareness so that he can avoid performing an action that might lead to unexpected behavior - e.g., an action that exceeds the remaining control authority of the damaged aircraft. We discuss the detection and classification results of simulated failures of the aircraft's control system and show that MILD is effective at determining the problem with low false alarm and misclassification rates.

Wong, Derek↗
NASA NTRS1977

Statistical evaluation of control inputs and eye movements in the use of instruments clusters during aircraft landing

Two different types of analyses were done on data from a study in which eye movements and other variables were recorded while four pilots executed landing sequences in a Boeing 737 simulation. Various conditions were manupulated, including changes in turbulence, starting position, and instrumentation. Control inputs were analyzed in the context of the various conditions and compared against ratings of workload obtained using the Cooper-Harper scale. A number of eye-scanning measures including mean dwell time and transition from one instrument to another were entered into a principal components factor analysis. The results show a differentiation between control inputs and eye-scanning behavior. This shows the need for improved definition of workload and experiments to uncover the important differences among control inputs, eye-scanning and cognitive processes of the pilot.

Dick, A. O.↗
NASA NTRS1992

From pilot's associate to satellite controller's associate

Associate technology is an emerging engineering discipline wherein intelligent automation can significantly augment the performance of man-machine systems. An associate system is one that monitors operator activity and adapts its operational behavior accordingly. Associate technology is most effectively applied when mapped into management of the human-machine interface and display-control loop in typical manned systems. This paper addresses the potential for application of associate technology into the arena of intelligent command and control of satellite systems, from diagnosis of onboard and onground of satellite systems fault conditions, to execution of nominal satellite control functions. Rather than specifying a specific solution, this paper draws parallels between the Pilot's Associate concept and the domain of satellite control.

Neyland, David L.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Digital control of high performance aircraft using adaptive estimation techniques

In this paper, an adaptive signal processing algorithm is joined with gain-scheduling for controlling the dynamics of high performance aircraft. A technique is presented for a reduced-order model (the longitudinal dynamics) of a high performance STOL aircraft. The actual controller views the nonlinear behavior of the aircraft as equivalent to a randomly switching sequence of linear models taken from a preliminary piecewise-linear fit of the system nonlinearities. The adaptive nature of the estimator is necessary to select the proper sequence of linear models along the flight trajectory. Nonlinear behavior is approximated by effective switching of the linear models at random times, with durations reflecting aircraft motion in response to pilot commands.

Van Landingham, H. F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Cockpit management and Specific Behavioral Objectives (SBOs)

One of the primary tools used to accomplish the task of effective training is the specific behavioral objective (SBO). An SBO is simply a statement which specifically identifies a small segment of the final behavior sought, and a little more. The key word is specific. The company pinpoints exactly what it is it wants the pilot to do after completing training, and what it should evaluate from the point of view of both the program and the pilot. It tells the junior crewmember exactly, specifically, what he should monitor and support insofar as the management function is concerned. It gives greater meaning to the term second in command. And finally, it tells the supervisory pilot exactly what he should observe, evaluate, and instruct, insofar as the management function is concerned.

Mudge, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Comparative evaluation of twenty pilot workload assessment measure using a psychomotor task in a moving base aircraft simulator

A comparison of the sensitivity and intrusion of twenty pilot workload assessment techniques was conducted using a psychomotor loading task in a three degree of freedom moving base aircraft simulator. The twenty techniques included opinion measures, spare mental capacity measures, physiological measures, eye behavior measures, and primary task performance measures. The primary task was an instrument landing system (ILS) approach and landing. All measures were recorded between the outer marker and the middle marker on the approach. Three levels (low, medium, and high) of psychomotor load were obtained by the combined manipulation of windgust disturbance level and simulated aircraft pitch stability. Six instrument rated pilots participated in four seasons lasting approximately three hours each.

Connor, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Pilot interaction with automated airborne decision making systems

The role of the pilot and crew for future aircraft is discussed. Fifteen formal experimental studies and the development of a variety of models of human behavior based on queueing history, pattern recognition methods, control theory, fuzzy set theory, and artificial intelligence concepts are presented. L.F.M.

Rouse, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Experimental investigation of fracture in an advanced fiber composite.

Pilot tests were run to determine the applicability of the concepts of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) to the description of the mechanical behavior of initially cracked specimens of advanced fiber composite laminates. It was found that the failure mechanisms in such specimens were largely crack-dominated and that LEFM procedures were applicable even when the apparent failure mechanism was not explicitly dominated by a starter crack.

Konish, H. J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

An artificial intelligence approach to onboard fault monitoring and diagnosis for aircraft applications

Real-time onboard fault monitoring and diagnosis for aircraft applications, whether performed by the human pilot or by automation, presents many difficult problems. Quick response to failures may be critical, the pilot often must compensate for the failure while diagnosing it, his information about the state of the aircraft is often incomplete, and the behavior of the aircraft changes as the effect of the failure propagates through the system. A research effort was initiated to identify guidelines for automation of onboard fault monitoring and diagnosis and associated crew interfaces. The effort began by determining the flight crew's information requirements for fault monitoring and diagnosis and the various reasoning strategies they use. Based on this information, a conceptual architecture was developed for the fault monitoring and diagnosis process. This architecture represents an approach and a framework which, once incorporated with the necessary detail and knowledge, can be a fully operational fault monitoring and diagnosis system, as well as providing the basis for comparison of this approach to other fault monitoring and diagnosis concepts. The architecture encompasses all aspects of the aircraft's operation, including navigation, guidance and controls, and subsystem status. The portion of the architecture that encompasses subsystem monitoring and diagnosis was implemented for an aircraft turbofan engine to explore and demonstrate the AI concepts involved. This paper describes the architecture and the implementation for the engine subsystem.

Schutte, P. C.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Modeling of dense reactive granular flows

Because of the lack of fundamental knowledge of both the fluid mechanical and thermal behavior of multiphase flow systems, the design of these processes has been necessarily based on empirical correlations and experiments performed in laboratory or pilot scale units. Detailed models and simulations of these systems would allow for the optimization of the processes and their scaling, without the need for expensive and time consuming testing. In this paper, we present the proposed hydrodynamic model in detail.

granular↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Contribution of Pilots to Resilience in Normal Operations. Part II: A closer look at briefings: Anticipation and Monitoring Also Known as Planning and Coordination

Much of our knowledge about human performance in flight safety has come from the analysis of undesired events, whether accidents, incidents, or crew behaviors identified via flight exceedance monitoring or observational techniques. In recent years, there has been an acknowledgement that operational personnel are not merely sources of “human error”, but also make a unique human contribution to safe outcomes. In a few celebrated cases, this takes the form of “heroic saves”, but on many more occasions, operational personnel contribute to safety through everyday, often-unnoticed actions that turn potentially hazardous situations into non-events. An emerging approach to safety, frequently referred to as “Safety II,” proposes that the positive human contribution is an important and largely untapped source of safety information. Some airlines have successfully trained observers to identify and record the positive behaviors exhibited by the crew over the course of a flight. In other cases, flight crew are interviewed about good practices or positive behaviors. However, each of these methods are relatively limited in scale and resource intensive. A survey could provide a relatively low-cost approach to systematically gather this information on a larger scale. The primary purpose of the research was to develop and assess a surveys methodology for assessing crews' activities in normal flights and the operational perturbations encountered during normal operations. We hope that such a survey could be both a research tool as well as a safety management aid for the aviation industry. We collected responses concerning revenue flights from two groups of airline pilots (N = 25 & N= 65). The results indicated that relatively few flights proceeded exactly as in the original flight plan. Pilots routinely anticipated and adapted to changing circumstances. We will review the challenges encountered in developing the survey and summarize preliminary findings from two administrations of the survey to airline pilots.

human contribution safety↗
NASA NTRS2003

Using Computational Cognitive Modeling to Diagnose Possible Sources of Aviation Error

We present a computational model of a closed-loop, pilot-aircraft-visual scene-taxiway system created to shed light on possible sources of taxi error. Creating the cognitive aspects of the model using ACT-R required us to conduct studies with subject matter experts to identify experiential adaptations pilots bring to taxiing. Five decision strategies were found, ranging from cognitively-intensive but precise, to fast, frugal but robust. We provide evidence for the model by comparing its behavior to a NASA Ames Research Center simulation of Chicago O'Hare surface operations. Decision horizons were highly variable; the model selected the most accurate strategy given time available. We found a signature in the simulation data of the use of globally robust heuristics to cope with short decision horizons as revealed by errors occurring most frequently at atypical taxiway geometries or clearance routes. These data provided empirical support for the model.

Pilots↗
NASA NTRS1991

Cockpit task management: A preliminary, normative theory

Cockpit task management (CTM) involves the initiation, monitoring, prioritizing, and allocation of resources to concurrent tasks as well as termination of multiple concurrent tasks. As aircrews have more tasks to attend to due to reduced crew sizes and the increased complexity of aircraft and the air transportation system, CTM will become a more critical factor in aviation safety. It is clear that many aviation accidents and incidents can be satisfactorily explained in terms of CTM errors, and it is likely that more accidents induced by poor CTM practice will occur in the future unless the issue is properly addressed. The first step in understanding and facilitating CTM behavior was the development of a preliminary, normative theory of CTM which identifies several important CTM functions. From this theory, some requirements for pilot-vehicle interfaces were developed which are believed to facilitate CTM. A prototype PVI was developed which improves CTM performance and currently, a research program is under way that is aimed at developing a better understanding of CTM and facilitating CTM performance through better equipment and procedures.

Funk, Ken↗
NASA NTRS1991

A fine-wire thermocouple probe for measurement of stagnation temperatures in real gas hypersonic flows of nitrogen

A fine-wire thermocouple probe was used to determine freestream stagnation temperatures in hypersonic flows. Data were gathered in a N2 blowdown wind tunnel with runtimes of 1-5 s. Tests were made at supply pressures between 30 and 1400 atm and supply temperatures between 700 and 1900 K, with Mach numbers of 14 to 16. An iterative procedure requiring thermocouple data, pilot pressure measurements, and supply conditions was used to determine test cell stagnation temperatures. Probe conduction and radiation losses, as well as real gas behavior of N2, were accounted for during analysis. Temperature measurement error was found to be 5 to 10 percent. A correlation was drawn between thermocouple diameter Reynolds number and temperature recovery ratio. Transient probe behavior was studied and was found to be adequate in temperature gradients up to 1000 K/s.

Hollis, Brian R.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Simulation fidelity and numerosity effects in CDTI experimentation

Twenty pilot workload assessment techniques were compared using a simulated flying task in which three levels of psychomotor workload were imposed. The experiment was conducted in a three degree of freedom motion base simulator. Opinion measures, spare mental capacity measures, physiological measures, eye movement behavior and primary task performance measures were evaluated. The primary task was an instrument landing system (ILS) approach and landing. All measures were recorded between the outer and middle markers on the approach. Three levels of psychomotor load were obtained by the combined manipulation of wind gust disturbance level and simulated aircraft pitch stability. Six instrument rated general aviation pilots participated in the experiment. Cooper-Harper ratings, WCI/TE ratings, time estimation standard deviation, pulse rate mean, and control movements per unit time demonstrated sensitivity to psychomotor load. No intrusion into primary task performance was found that the sensitivities of workload estimation techniques vary widely, and that only a few techniques appear to be sensitive to psychomotor load.

Kreifeldt, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1977

A design procedure for control/display systems

This paper proposes a design procedure for control and display systems in which levels of automation vary over a significant range. The elements of the primary analysis tool (the Optimal Control Model of the Human Operator) are briefly reviewed, and the use of the model at three levels of specification (information level, display-element level, and display-format level) is discussed. Based on observation and pilot commentary, it is assumed that the pilot allocates his attention to control the aircraft to the desired level of performance, and then, with remaining capacity, to monitor displays. This facet of behavior is incorporated into the design procedure so that regardless of the level of control automation, all systems are compared at the same level of control performance. The design procedure is applied to the longitudinal control of a CH-47 helicopter. The procedure points out the need for performance-workload relations for control, which are fairly well understood, and performance-workload relations for monitoring, about which little is known.

Curry, R. E.↗
NASA NTRS1946

Wind-Tunnel Investigation of the Stability of the Jettisonable Nose Section of the X-3 Airplane

Because previous work has indicated that jettisonable nose sections of airplanes may be inherently unstable, and thus may cause dangerous centripetal accelerations on a pilot after jettisoning during high-speed flight, an investigation has been conducted in the Langley 20-foot free-spinning tunnel to determine the behavior in descent of a model of the jettisonable nose section of the Douglas X-3 airplane. The effects of varying the center-of-gravity position, of attaching fins of various sizes, and of installing a stabilizing parachute were investigated. In the investigation the model descended with its front and trimmed 36 deg above the horizontal and rotated about a vertical wind axis while rolling about its longitudinal body axis. The nose section was made to descend in a stable front-down attitude when stabilizing fins were installed in conjunction with movement of the center of gravity forward or when a stable parachute was attached to the model.

Scher, Stanley H.↗