Facilities

The Human Factors Division has, or shares, two campus sites for research.

1. Visual Flight Simulation Laboratory
Beckman Institute (Room B604)

This laboratory has a three-channel, computer-generated visual simulation capability provided by three computers with high-end graphics cards. The system is capable of projecting day, night, high and low visibility conditions. We are using the flight simulation program X-Plane which is capable of simulating a wide variety of aircraft and can provide terrain from all over the world. It is integrated with a Frasca 142 flight simulator and glass-cockpit instrument panel capable of projecting advanced display concepts (see Figure 1). Eye movement monitoring equipment can record visual fixations across the instrument panel and outside scene. It can also be switched readily to a simple control system mounted to a laboratory chair, where it is used to test issues relating to head up displays and to navigation. The visual simulation capability is supported by a number of networked computers. In addition, three Electrohome projectors are used to project the computer-generated visual scenes onto a 3 wall, 135° screen.

2. Human Performance Laboratory
Beckman Institute (Rooms 1612 & 1638)

This laboratory has two head-mounted EyeLink II eye trackers, a table-mounted EyeLink 1000, and multiple PCs for behavioral performance testing. These facilities are used to study topics related to visual search, attention, decision making, training, and expertise.

3. Interactive Cognition Laboratory
Beckman Institute (Room 2414)

This laboratory consists of a central group workspace and three access-controlled laboratory booths for experimentation with human participants. Equipment includes 2 Mac G4 computers with 17” flat panel monitors (one configured as a file server), 1 IMac computer, 4 Windows NT Computers, 2 with flat panel monitors, a high volume color Laserjet printer, a digital scanner, and an ASL 5000 eye tracker with associated computer server and two small video monitors. Two of the Windows computers are configured with Emerson, Inc “DeltaV” software providing simulations of both the automation and controlled systems of the UIUC Abbott power plant , for supporting studies of human-computer interaction, supervisory control, and display design for complex systems. Both Mac G4 computers are configured with the computational cognitive modeling architecture “ACT-R” and a flight simulation package “X-Plane,” containing moderate fidelity terrain and airport databases for the entire world, supporting closed- loop, cognitive modeling of piloting cognition and the evaluation of interface design concepts.

4. Applied Cognitive Science Laboratory
Beckman Institute (Room 4035)

The Applied Cognitive Science Lab in the Beckman Institute is equipped with eight state-of-the art networked computers for collecting high-resolution local and remote keystrokes, mouse movements, and click-stream data. The computers are also equipped with real-time protocol analysis programs that allow precise recording and analysis of audio and video data.

5. Simulation Laboratory
Q4, Professional Pilot Division (Willard Airport)

This laboratory has six Frasca 141 Flight Training Devices (FTD) that represent generic single engine aircraft such as those flown at the Institute of Aviation. Two of these FTDs have fully digital data recording systems for recording continuous flight performance data. These devices have been used in several instrument flying studies (funded by both NASA and the FAA), investigating the incremental effectiveness of time flown in FTD towards the instrument rating. Also has two twin-engine Frasca 142s, one of which has been used in CRM research and a Frasca 242 turboprop trainer.

HFD owns and operates three PCATDs. The first study of PCATD effectiveness run at the Institute was interested in determining what could be trained efficiently in the PCATD as well as what transferred effectively to the aircraft. After this study, it was clear that the introduction of new instrument maneuvers provided better transfer to the aircraft than the review of previously learned maneuvers. As a result, it was possible to specify, more precisely, a training program with a set amount of time and set number of maneuvers to be performed in the PCATD. Since the exact amount of time to be spent using a PCATD that is most effective had not been determined, an Incremental Transfer design was proposed by the Institute and subsequently funded by a grant from NASA.

This study used instrument students from the AVI 130 and 140 instrument courses at the Institute. Four experimental groups were run at the time, each using the PCATD for incremental more time than the other. A control group receives training only in the aircraft. The Elite PCATD (and FAA approved PCATD) was designed to simulate the Piper Archer (PA-28-181). Follow-on work funded by the FAA further validated that instrument training could be effectively carried out in these devices.

The Elite v 7.0 Archer PCATD has realistic flight controls, full flight dynamics and a United States navigation database. In addition to these features, the Elite PCATD provides a great deal of flexibility when simulating typical emergencies that an instrument pilot might experience and has a user friendly interface making the instructor’s job of setting up a training session quite easy. Each PCATD is equipped with digital data collection for continuous and discrete performance variables.

Aircraft:
The Human Factors Division has access to a fleet of aircraft owned and operated by the Institute of Aviation. These aircraft are available, on a rental basis, for flight research projects. Table 1 lists aircraft currently in the Institute’s inventory.

Table 1. Institute of Aviation Aircraft

Resources