Human Factors Issues in Advanced Moving-map Systems

Abstract

Vector-based maps are an advanced capability of digital moving-map systems that are easily customised and can be powerful aids to aircrew information processing and decisionmaking. However, they may place excessive demands on an aircrew's information processing requirements, cause an increase in workload, and degrade situational awareness if the user interface is not designed properly. There is little information available about the human factors and situational awareness issues relevant to vector-based maps. In this paper, we summarise relevant research on human factors and situational awareness aspects of using vector-based maps, identify key issues, and recommend directions for future research. KEY WORDS1. Maps\Charts.2. Human Factors. 3. Situational Awareness.1. INTRODUCTION. Aircraft digital moving-map systems are designed to provide useful information for navigation and tactical tasks and to allow the aircrew to focus their attention on performing these tasks with a minimum amount of headdown time. When properly designed, digital moving-maps should display information more efficiently than paper maps such that aircrew can obtain all the information required to assess a situation and accomplish a task with a quick glance. Digital moving-map systems should also provide the aircrew with the ability to access and control the displayed information selectively (Rogers and Spiker, 1988 ;Unger and Schopper, 1995). Vector-based maps, which are an advanced capability of digital moving-map systems, differ from conventional raster-scanned maps in that they are rendered from individually stored objects, including points with associated symbols (e.g., airports), linear features (e.g., roads), and areas (e.g., shaded cities) (Willis and Goodson, 1997). These point, linear, and area features are often arranged in multiple data layers (or libraries) organised and interrelated via a relational or object-oriented database structure. The features are stored using identification codes in related groups (classes) and displayed via bitmapped symbology. They are selectable by major or minor classes so permitting a display to be customised. For these reasons, vector-based maps and map overlays have the potential to be powerful aids to aircrew information processing and decision-making. However, they may place excessive demands on an aircrew's information processing requirements, increase workload, and degrade situational awareness if the user interface is not designed properly. Unfortunately,

An empirical study of user preference and performance with UML diagrams

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User Preference and Performance with UML Interaction Diagrams

“…For example, websites [6], [7] moving map systems [8] and graph layout algorithms [9] have been studied in this context. The relationship between subjective preference and objective performance measures remains unclear after these studies, as the results have not been consistent.…”