Pilot’s mental workload nonlinear correlation among objective and subjective measurements

Abstract

Abstract In the aviation framework, the workload evaluation is influenced by human factors effects both for pilots and ground operators. Nevertheless, the measurement of workload is of great importance to prevent human errors due to fatigue. In the present work, correlation analysis has been carried out to investigates the relationship between subjective and objective workload measurements. An experimental campaign was conducted using a full flight business aircraft simulator. Particular attention has been paid to the NASA-TLX subscales contribute. In terms of objective measurements, three different indexes gathered from heart rate variability have been considered. As the main result, the frequency-domain index reveals a large correlation effect with the workload subscale for the maneuvers taken into account.