Situation Awareness Catches On: What? So What? Now What?

Human factors/ergonomics professionals regularly study the situation awareness (SA) problems of pilots, air traffic controllers, automobile drivers, power plant workers, ambulance dispatchers, urban search and rescue professionals, and unmanned vehicle operators, to mention a few. The challenge has been to define SA operationally and devise measurement strategies that focus on attention and recall on the one hand and relevant actions on the other. Although there have been many successes, challenges remain. This review is organized in three parts. Under “What?” we discuss definitions of SA, their interpretations in terms of human information processing and ecological psychological theories, as well as techniques for measuring SA. Under “So what?” we introduce SA applications'information requirements, technological tools, and training systems'that support the way people work and live. Finally, under “Now what?” we discuss future directions for SA research.

Enhanced perception and performance by multimodal threat cueing in simulated combat vehicle

OBJECTIVE

In a simulated combat vehicle, uni-, bi-, and trimodal cueing of direction to threat were compared with the purpose to investigate whether multisensory redundant information may enhance dynamic perception and performance.

BACKGROUND

Previous research has shown that multimodal display presentation can enhance perception of information and task performance.

METHOD

Two experiments in a simulated combat vehicle were performed under the instructions to turn the vehicle toward the threat as fast and accurately as possible after threat cue onset. In Experiment 1, direction to threat was presented by four display types: visual head-down display, tactile belt, 3-D audio, and trimodal with the three displays combined. In Experiment 2, direction to threat was presented by three display types: visual head-up display (HUD)-3-D audio, tactile belt-3-D audio, and trimodal with HUD, tactile belt, and 3-D audio combined.

RESULTS

In Experiment I,the trimodal display provided overall best performance and perception of threat direction. In Experiment 2, both the trimodal and HUD--3-D audio displays led to overall best performance, and the trimodal display provided overall the best perception of threat direction. None of the trimodal displays induced higher mental workload or secondary task interference.

CONCLUSION

The trimodal displays provided overall enhanced perception and performance in the dynamically framed threat scenario and did not entail higher mental workload or decreased spare capacity.

APPLICATION

Trimodal displays with redundant information may contribute to safer and more reliable peak performance in time-critical dynamic tasks and especially in more extreme and stressful situations with high perceptual or mental workload.