Human Factors Engineering Workstation for model-based Cockpit Design

Over the past several years, BBN Inc. has been engaged in the development of a design workstation to provide a graphic and software tool-based representation of the human operator, the goals, the task environment, the procedural constraints and the equipment options associated with advanced cockpit design. The work has been directed toward design for advanced scout/attack helicopters (A³I) and for fighter aircraft (CAT). We have developed this workstation to provide the designer with graphic representation of design. The CAT effort developed a computer generated and dynamic timeline of operator goals, performance limits, tradeoffs and equipment configuration as a simulated fighter mission is flown. The designer was given the opportunity to modify the assumed equipment suite or goal structure and observe the affect of those manipulations on the timeline performance track. The A³I design workstation built on the CAT technology and encoded human performance models in an object-oriented LISP environment. The models of workload, attention and decision making worked with the representation of the mission and helicopter cockpit to produce refined measures of mission effectiveness, given a particular equipment suite. Again, the models, equipment, mission and tactical rules of engagement were available for screen-based manipulation by a designer. We believe the provision of these kinds of analytic tools and graphic presentation of performance projections assist designers in rapidly and conveniently exploring design alternatives.