Pilots' Attention Distributions Between Chasing a Moving Target and a Stationary Target

Area of Science:

• Aviation Psychology
• Human Factors Engineering
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Effective attention is critical for flight safety, as attention deficits can lead to accidents.
• Understanding how military pilots distribute attention is crucial for optimizing training and interface design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the attention distribution of military pilots between engaging a moving target (air-to-air) and a stationary target (air-to-surface).
• To analyze visual behavior and cognitive load during different tactical flight scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-seven F-16 pilots participated in simulated tactical training scenarios.
• Eye movements were recorded using a head-mounted eye-tracker during air-to-air and air-to-surface target engagement.
• Scenarios included searching, aiming, and lock-on phases for both target types.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in fixation percentages were observed during the searching phase between air-to-air and air-to-surface tasks.
• Aiming at a stationary target resulted in increased pupil dilation, indicating higher cognitive load compared to aiming at a moving target.
• Fixation duration during searching suggests varying levels of sustained attention to dynamic versus static targets.

Conclusions:

• Pilot visual behavior and attention distribution are significantly influenced by task characteristics and target type.
• Distinct visual scan patterns emerge for searching and aiming at different targets in simulated tactical operations.
• Findings support human-centered interface design to enhance pilot situational awareness and inform the use of eye-tracking for training.