A program for assessing pilot mental state in flight simulators

Abstract

A program to apply proposed measures of pilot mental state in the simulator flight deck environment has been undertaken at NASA Langley Research Center. Literature survey identified a promising subset of methods for assessing workload, attention and vigilance, and task-related stress, and revealed a need for improved analytical techniques in the physiological area. An effort to apply functional modelling techniques has been initiated. A psychophysiological laboratory has been designed for simulator application. The program is designed to develop improved techniques for evaluating simulator cue fidelity and for imposing realistic workload and attentional demands on the simulator pilot.