Use Future Rotorcraft Human Machine Interface

现代航空电子设备和传感器系统为飞行员和机组人员提供了大量与飞机的使命、操作和操纵以及威胁识别相关的信息。在这种信息日益丰富的数据环境中，存在一个重大的风险，即如果不对人机界面（HMI）设计需求和要求进行适当的审查，机组人员可能会受到认知过载的影响，从而导致操作效率降低，决策能力低下，并可能导致机载资产的损失。需要以飞行员为中心的方法来设计、传输和解释驾驶舱中的信息，以减少飞行员在复杂环境中的工作量，确保行动能力的透明度并减少丧失行动能力的风险。该研究项目的目的是开发一种方法来调查复杂操作中飞行员工作负荷的主观和客观测量，并开发HMI指南，用于在高工作负荷情况下向飞行员/机组人员传输重要信息。该项目将开始，通过“传统”文献综述来确定直升机操作的最新技术水平，虚拟环境中的培训效果和复杂数据集的HMI设计。在这项活动中，研究人员将需要接触操作和培训现有旋翼机的军事人员，以了解目前采用的最佳做法的概况，并确定未来的要求。这一活动的产出将是一份关于主要调查结果的报告，并确定将在这一项目中开展的研究问题。这项活动还将导致制定研究中使用的操作设想方案，使用建模和飞行模拟来应对研究挑战将是这项工作的一个关键部分。VR和AR技术的进步为开展研究提供了新的工具，并有可能改变培训的方式。在这一阶段的活动中，将需要汇集一些模拟组件，以开发一个技术“沙坑”，调查已确定的研究课题。这项活动的重点将是开发一个模拟框架，该框架可用于调查培训和运营需求，并将为开发新的人机界面指导方针提供信息。它将确定哪种方式最适合向机组人员传递复杂和远程信息。现有的和新兴的模拟技术将在这项工作中进行检查，以产生一个能力矩阵，用于本项目和超越。该项目的一个重大挑战将是检测和减轻飞行员认知超载和降低的态势感知。这将需要开发模拟逼真度和培训指标以及以培训和业务为重点的方法。将进行初步的模拟试验，使用在研究的前一阶段开发的模拟工具，以检查沉浸和保真度对业务决策过程的影响。需要进行更多的研究，以确定可靠的行为和生理标记，例如眨眼率、凝视模式、脉搏率，这些标记可用于检查飞行员的工作负荷。在此之后，候选HMI系统将在模拟环境中进行测试，以评估其操作鲁棒性，即允许机组人员保持对其车辆的态势感知的能力。拟议的研究提供了一个机会，使新出现的和未来的业务需求的评估和满足方式的一步变化。它有可能降低与将新平台与现有资产整合相关的成本和风险，并将使新技术的应用更加迅速。

Modern avionics and sensor systems offer pilots and crew with a wealth of information related to the mission, operation and handling of their aircraft, and threat identification. In this increasingly information rich data environment there is a significant risk that, without an appropriate review of Human Machine Interface (HMI) design needs and requirements, crew might be subjected to cognitive overload resulting in reduced operational effectiveness, poor decision making and potentially leading to loss of airborne assets. A pilot-centric approach to the design, transmission and interpretation of information in the cockpit is needed to reduce pilot workload in complex environments, ensuring the transparency of and reducing the risk of loss of operational capability. The aim of this research project is to develop a methodology to investigate subjective and objective measures of pilot workload in complex operations and develop HMI guidelines for transmitting essential information to pilots/crew in high workload situations.The project will begin with a 'traditional' literature review to determine the state of the art in helicopter operations, training effectiveness in virtual environments and HMI design for complex datasets. In this activity, the researcher will require access to military personnel who operate and provide training for current rotorcraft to obtain an overview of the best practise currently employed and identify future requirements. The output from this activity will be a report on key findings and the identification of the research questions that will be pursued in this project. This activity will also lead to the development of operational scenarios that will be used in the research.The use of modelling and flight simulation in addressing the research challenges will be a key part of the work. Advances in VR and AR technology offer new tools for conducting research and also have the potential to change the manner in which training is delivered. A number of simulation components will need to be brought together during this phase of activity to develop a technology 'sandpit' to investigate the identified research topics. The focus of this activity will be the development of a simulation framework that can be used to investigate training and operational needs and will inform the development of new HMI guidelines for piloted operations. It will determine which modalities are best suited for conveying complex and remote information to aircrew. Existing and emerging simulation technologies will be examined in this work to produce a capability matrix for use in this project and beyond. A significant challenge in the project will be the detection and mitigation of pilot cognitive overload and reduced situational awareness. This will require the development of simulation fidelity and training metrics and methodologies that are training and operationally focussed. Initial simulation trials will be carried out, using the simulation tools developed in the previous phase of the research, to examine the effect of immersion and fidelity on operational decision-making processes. Additional research is required to identify robust behavioural and physiological markers, e.g. eye blink rate, gaze patterning, pulse rate, that can be used to examine pilot workload. Following this, the candidate HMI systems will be tested in the simulation environment to assess their operational robustness, i.e. the ability to allow the aircrew to maintain situational awareness of their vehicle. The proposed research offers the opportunity to make a step change in the way emerging and future operational requirements are assessed and satisfied. It has the potential of reducing the costs and risks associated with integrating new platforms with existing assets and will enable a more rapid of new technologies.