Defense Intelligence Reference Document Cockpits In The Era Of Breakthrough Flight

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Peripheral Vision
Peripheral vision has been used with some success to display rates of change and
artificial horizons in aircraft. Evidence indicates that peripheral vision can process
spatial information in parallel without appreciable mental attention. Also, evidence
indicates that peripheral spatial cues (e.g., artificial horizon laser trace) may still be
subconsciously processed during stress-induced tunnel vision, even though the pilot is
no longer consciously noticing it. 26
Attention
In the absence of stimuli, visual attention is spread evenly across the full field of view,
and that information is processed subconsciously in parallel. But in the event of motion
or noise, visual attention aims toward those changes, and then that information is
processed serially. In the context of cockpits, this means that all the panels and
windows that are normally in the field of view are processed subconsciously in parallel,
and a change in any one of those will be noticed, thus drawing attention to that change.
Once attention has been triggered, the information is processed more serially.
Blinking lights are a common way to draw attention. Sound can also be used, and the
combination of sound and lights is commonly used in malfunction enunciator panels. It
is possible, however, to saturate the pilot with too many blinking lights and sounds.
Although firm values are not established, it is recommended to keep such functions to a
minimum-preferably tied to the highest-priority status indications.
Another method to draw the attention is through physical feeling. Vibrations or a
change in feel of the vehicle will get the attention of the pilot, and with experience, the
correlation between physical sensations and the status of the vehicle can become
second nature. Historically, there are many instances where the pilots were innately
able to sense changes in operating condition of the vehicle just through feel.
In addition to naturally created sensations, having deliberate vibrations built into the
seat is another option for sending information to the pilot. Force-feedback controls
have also been found helpful, where the degree of resistance or vibration fed back
through a control (e.g., joystick and pedals) provides interpretable information that can
be mentally processed in parallel.
Upon the advent of control over gravitational and inertial forces, it will likely become
possible to deliberately provide the pilot with vestibular cues-mimicking inertial
accelerations in association with the external conditions, but at survivable levels.
DESIGN FOR STRESS
The most important time for the pilot-machine interface to work optimally is in
moments of crisis. Thus, as a starting point for cockpit design, it is best to focus on the
highest-priority information and controls and to present those displays and controls in a
manner that accommodates human norms during stress. 27 Accordingly, this section
covers human limits and errors and advice for providing alarms and response options.
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