Accession Number:

AD1036339

Title:

Understanding of a Key Aspect of Situation Awareness: A Research and Development Agenda to Refine the Model of Spatial Orientation

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

ARMY AEROMEDICAL RESEARCH LAB FORT RUCKER AL FORT RUCKER United States

Personal Author(s):

• Lawson,Ben D.
• Williams,Henry P.
• Newman,Michael C.
• McGrath,Braden J.
• Rupert,Angus H.

Report Date:

2017-07-10

Pagination or Media Count:

42.0

Abstract:

Loss of situation awareness LSA occurs when pilots are not attending to their instruments, due to factors such as workload or distraction. A deadly aspect of LSA is spatial disorientation, which usually occurs during flight in degraded visual environments when the forces on the pilots bodies are misleading concerning the direction of the true gravitational vertical. A mathematical model has been developed to predict human orientation and motion perceptions, based on factors such as the moment-by-moment angular and linear accelerations of ones body. The model has been applied to the evaluation of suspected spatial disorientation mishaps. This report represents an expert committee summary of the key knowledge gaps that should be filled to mature the model. Gaps are identified where research is needed to provide data for the model or to refine it to be more accurate. The committee identified the key publications whose findings would need to be incorporated into a fully mature model of human orientation. The committee also considered the key psychophysical measures of orientation perception needed to further validate the model.

Descriptors:

• Aviation safety
• Perception
• Situational awareness
• MODELS
• balance

Subject Categories:

• Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics
• Military Aircraft Operations

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE