Documents / Report
This Defense Intelligence Reference Document from the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated 1 November 2010, is one of a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2009 under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It proposes a provisional cockpit design for craft driven by speculative breakthrough propulsion, such as control of gravity and inertia and faster-than-light travel. It draws mainly on the book Frontiers of Propulsion Science and on human-machine interface research.
UNCLASSIFIED/ ,'F811. 8Fflli1Ale lal!i! 8111!1/ look for information rather than being proficient at remembering a sequence of steps from which to retrieve information. In systems having different operating modes, a common error is for an operator to execute a command sequence that is inappropriate for the mode they are currently using but entirely correct for a different mode. 33 This type of error is called a "mode error." An example of this is when a pilot enters a new heading for the autopilot to follow when the plane is not in autopilot mode. To prevent this error, it is advised to have the most critical operating modes as fixed, physical displays. Other Distractions It is important to remember that the cockpit might not always offer a smooth, distraction-free ride. Buffeting can cause a finger to press the wrong button ( or a gesture-based command to misdirect), or the eyes might not be able to resolve a particular value. Excessive use of audible alarms and blinking lights can saturate the pilot. Other activities or distractions available to the pilot must be taken into account so that the most critical functions are easy to find and operate, including sufficiently large buttons and text. Alarms and Responses Traditionally, physical enunciator panels combined with audible alarms and blinking lights were used to highlight malfunctions. In addition to fixed enunciator panels, more complex systems can now computationally analyze a number of variables and only present the most pertinent values and alarm states. DEVICES TO CONVEY INFORMATION Observation and interpretation of displays is always secondary to the primary task of actually operating the system. Thus, it is important that displays be designed to first serve the user and to take on as much of the information-processing burden as possible. Also, it is suggested that the displays and control input devices should be designed according to the operator's preferences, as opposed to the more common practice of designing based on the system engineer's expectations. The following paragraphs describe lessons learned regarding various methods of conveying information to the pilot. 34 Fixed and Adaptive Displays Fixed displays, such as the gauges of older aircraft, do not change the type of information they display nor do they morph their format. These can be dials, bar graphs, an artificial horizon, or simple indicator lights. Such fixed displays can be projected with computerized screens where several interrelated values can be combined into a single, computed value. Adaptive displays, on the other hand, can change their formats or change the topics displayed to fit operational situations or individuals. Both have their respective optimum uses. During the advent of adaptive displays (circa 1990s), they tended to be overused. The advantage is that the information can be tailored to minimize the volume of information displayed at any one time. The disadvantages are that such systems require more 23 UNCLASSIFIED/ ,'1'81l 81'FU!l*le lal!i! lil'II,>/
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 57 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.