Crew Simulations for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Applications: Sustained Effects, Shift Factors, Interface Issues, and Crew Size

Abstract

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) offers the potential to view future battlespaces at low cost while increasing crew survivability. The purpose of the two simulation experiments was to examine crew performance in controlling the UAV and exploiting close and short-range targets for 12-hour shifts in both day and night conditions during 72-hour operational tempos. In the first experiment, four two-person crews each conducted three 8 to 10 hour missions. The data indicated no performance decrements over either mission length or mission day but did suggest possible problems with nocturnal operations. The second experiment investigated a single operator workstation configuration. The 16 operators evinced training problems but showed no significant effects for rotation schedule and day and night conditions. Analysis of simulated crashes indicated flight control problems related to training, split attention, and display size constraints.