Effects of Ride Motion on Reaction Times for Reaching Tasks

In future operational environments, the ability of Soldiers to quickly and accurately reach controls and displays, while they are in enclosed moving vehicles, is critical to the design of U.S. Army crew stations. This study examines degradations in the timing and accuracy of reaches associated with such enclosed and moving environments. Twenty participants completed several series of reaches to touch-screens. The results supported that the motion environment, touch-screen location, target size and appearance, and the number of target choices influenced reach timing and accuracy. These results illustrate the need to develop mitigation strategies for effective Soldier performance in future vehicle crew stations.