Effectiveness of Scene-Linked Symbology in a Simulated Helicopter Hovering Task

A comparative simulator study was conducted in which a novel scene-linked symbology (SLS) concept was compared to conventional hovering symbology, the MIL-STD-1295 display. In contrast to conventional symbology, scene-linked symbology is embedded in the visual field in a conformal manner. It is overlaid on the natural visual field by means of a head-up display or helmet-mounted display. Apart from the primary hovering task, the comparison included secondary tasks, geared towards evaluating the ability of the pilot to utilize and integrate information embedded in the visual field, while performing the primary hovering task. Six helicopter research pilots participated in the experiment, each of which flew both the scene-linked and the conventional symbology. The experimental results showed markedly better vertical and heading accuracy for the SLS, while similar performance was obtained for the lateral and longitudinal motions. Secondary task performance was 30% better for the SLS than for the MIL-STD-1295 symbology. The results demonstrate the ability of the SLS to integrate the vehicle states with information embedded in the visual field and indicate the advantages of the natural integrated format.