Improving aviation safety with information visualization: a flight simulation study

Many aircraft accidents each year are caused by encounters with invisible airflow hazards. Recent advances in aviation sensor technology offer the potential for aircraft-based sensors that can gather large amounts of airflow velocity data in real-time. With this influx of data comes the need to study how best to present it to the pilot ? a cognitively overloaded user focused on a primary task other than that of information visualization. In this paper, we present the results of a usability study of an airflow hazard visualization system that significantly reduced the crash rate among experienced helicopter pilots flying a high fidelity, aerodynamically realistic fixed-base rotorcraft flight simulator into hazardous conditions. We focus on one particular aviation application, but the results may be relevant to user interfaces in other operationally stressful environments. Author Keywords Information visualization, flight-deck displays, human factors in aviation, augmented reality, airf...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Cecilia R. Aragon, Marti A. Hearst
• Keywords: Airflow Hazard Visualization, Airflow Velocity Data, CHI 2005, Human Computer Interaction, Invisible Airflow Hazards