Utility of Concurrent Bandwidth Feedback in Training Aircraft Flight Tasks

Abstract

The effects of concurrent bandwidth feedback on operator performance and workload was analyzed in training an aircraft flight control task. In the experiment, participants completed a simulated flight task consisting of three complexity levels using traditional flight instruments. Thirty participants were divided into equal sized control and feedback groups. The control group controlled simulated aircraft motion with visual guidance for pitch, roll, and altitude provided by traditional flight instruments. The feedback group received additional visual concurrent bandwidth feedback for each controlled degree of freedom. For both groups, performance and workload measurements were evaluated to determine the effects of the feedback on subject learning rate and maximum skill level. To assess short-term retention of learned skill for the feedback group, the concurrent feedback was removed, and performance was again evaluated. Statistical analyses showed that participants in the feedback group immediately performed better than those in the control group, that the performance difference between the two groups was more pronounced for more complex tasks, and that final performance levels for the feedback group significantly exceeded that of the control group. We found that concurrent bandwidth feedback does not reduce workload in our flight tasks, and that for the short periods tested, participants continued to perform at the same performance and workload levels when the feedback was removed.

Effects of online-bandwidth visual feedback on unilateral force control capabilities

“…Specifically, the offline-bandwidth visual feedback with a predefined tolerance range improved force accuracy across multiple trials, and these transient improvements were greater in the narrower predefined tolerance range (i.e., ±5% BTR) than ±10% BTR. Further, several studies examined the effects of online-bandwidth visual feedback on force control with relatively longer task intervals [ 3 , 18 , 24 ], and found more reduction of task error [ 3 , 24 ]. Thus, our findings expanded these results by showing that the narrower predefined tolerance range of online-bandwidth visual feedback may be more effective to advance force accuracy.…”

“…Visual feedback is one of the effective modalities improving motor control functions [ 1 , 2 ]. For example, while operating driving simulators, a driver with additional virtual driving lanes with error information can improve task performances [ 3 , 4 ]. Presumably, descending commands corrected by the visual information during the actual action may influence on motor neuron pool activations contributing to advanced motor outcomes [ 5 ].…”