Anne Papenfuss

Head up only — A design concept to enable multiple remote tower operations

Multiple remote tower operations are one concept for more cost efficient air traffic control at smaller airports. One air traffic controller (ATCO) should control traffic at two or more airports at the same time. Multiple remote tower operations for two small airports has already been successfully been validated by LFV, the Swedish air navigation service provider. As monitoring and visual observation is an important task of tower controllers, this concept raises questions on how to best support human performance when it should be applied in high traffic environments. A high fidelity study with 16 ATCOs investigated into the influence of multiple remote operations on visual attention and monitoring performance. The study was set up with high traffic volumes putting a maximum workload on the ATCO for a whole simulation run. Empirical results of eye movement measures are presented. Whilst in general visual attention distribution was not affected, less relevant events were monitored, because the visual attention was distributed over the two airports. In order to mitigate these effects, two workplace design approaches are presented - information integration and attention guidance. Advantages and challenges of the two approaches are discussed, with a focus on the impact of the design concepts on the working methods of air traffic controllers.

Assessing Operational Validity of Remote Tower Control in High-fidelity Tower Simulation

Abstract This paper describes a high-fidelity simulation study with twelve tower controllers within the context of the Remote Airport Traffic Control Center (RAiCe) project. Main objective was the assessment of the operational validity of remote control of one smaller airport with a high resolution video panorama system and an experimental workplace to present these video data, called RTO (Remote Tower Operation)-Console. Furthermore the information acquisition process of the controllers whilst controlling air traffic was analyzed. The central question for developing a remote workplace is: Which information does an air traffic controller need to make safe and efficient decisions while controlling an airport remotely? Until now there is no conclusive evidence which visual information tower controllers receive from their view outside the tower to control air traffic. Nevertheless for smaller airfields with little sensor technology the view outside certainly is one of the most important and comprehensive sources of information. Three variations of the workplace were varied experimentally: first a conventional 200° tower simulator, second the RTO-Console, and third the RTO-Console with additional augmentation of information on the video panorama. Objective eye tracking data were gathered during the simulations runs, together with subjective questionnaire data and interviews. Dwell times for the main information sources were determined to scrutinize the information acquisition process of the tower controller. Altogether, air traffic controllers characterize the RTO-Console as a valid work place for smaller airport. Furthermore, the eye tracking data showed that superimposition of callsigns into the video panorama reduces the head-down time onto the RADAR display.

Phenotypes of Teamwork – an Exploratory Study of Tower Controller Teams:

Background: In complex human-machine-systems often teams of operators perform the tasks. Therefore, the quality of their teamwork processes is a factor that influences the performance of the overall system. There are theoretical models that predict teamwork processes which are critical for good team performance. The work presented in this paper researches how these generic processes become apparent in the domain of air traffic tower control. A scenario was used where operators control two airports simultaneously, i.e. they have to guarantee a safe flow of traffic. Method: An exploratory study was conducted to identify teamwork processes within a team of two tower controllers. Video data from a high fidelity simulation were analyzed and combined with radio communication data. Cognitive demanding situations were analyzed and compared to identical situations worked by a single operator. Results: Teamwork processes within the tower controller teams did not become apparent in explicit verbal communication but rather within the timing of activities. All teams showed a distinct pattern of activity defined as “flexible task assignment” within this paper. This behavior allowed the teams to respond to new aircraft with less delay, compared to the single controller working the same situation. Outlook: Further examples of “real-world” teamwork behaviors should be collected to understand the influence of the specific domain on the phenotype of teamwork processes. These behaviors should be mapped to underlying cognitive processes, like team situation awareness. This knowledge might not only be of academic interest but also a helpful basis for other research field of human factors, like enabling automation to serve as a team partner.

Ecological Interface Design and its application to Total Airport Management

The concept of Total Airport Management aims at harmonizing and optimizing the processes at an airport through the implementation of an airport operations plan. For this purpose and to guarantee the acceptance of the airport operation plan from all stakeholders, it was proposed to develop a control room in which stakeholders negotiate a quality of service contract and airport processes. This control room will, amongst others, be equipped with a large videowall, which should enable stakeholders yielding sound common situation awareness. This paper introduces an information representation for the videowall, which should support knowledge-based behaviour, and, thus, applies the Ecological Interface Design Guidelines. Therefor, it discusses how the Total Airport Management systems functional purpose, abstract functions, generalized functions, physical processes, and physical form may be presented appropriately on the videowall. Herewith, this paper generalizes the Ecological Interface Design approach to airport management and provides a theory-based proposition of the videowalls design.

Making Multi-team Systems More Adaptable by Enhancing Transactive Memory System Structures – The Case of CDM in APOC

The DLR project ‘Inter Team Collaboration’ (ITC) aims to provide systems engineers with tools and human factors concepts that allow a systemic access to the social side of socio-technical systems. A main design question for implementing Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) in APOC is how to induce collaborative decision making in a dynamic environment of ATM to make it more adaptive and resilient. Our main assumption is that the establishment of a Transactive-Memory System (TMS) is the basic predisposition for a successful implementation of intensive CDM. A TMS reflects linkages across MTS boundaries. Assumedly, its emergence is a function of social structures (like motives), but also of communication structures. The MTS is conceptualized as a nonlinear dynamical system (NDS), where CDM is conceived as an attractor to system-behavior. Recurrence analyses on behavioral data assessed within Human-in-the-Loop-experiments will be applied to identify MTS transition phases in reaction to perturbations.

Visual Aids for Merging Mixed Arrival Traffic: Effects on Controllers' Performance, Situation Awareness, and Mental Workload

Innovative concepts for fuel-efficient and noise-reduced air traffic suggest a better utilization of modern aircraft capabilities, like time-based planning of continuous descent approaches (CDA). One challenge of such concepts is the integration of aircraft flying CDA approaches and conventional air traffic. In this study, we examined the effects of different levels of automation provided by four different variants of visual aids on performance, information acquisition, resultant situation awareness, and workload with N = 78 students in a complex and dynamic microworld setting. While visual assistance had a positive effect on performance, attention was deviated from real aircraft. Nevertheless, attention deviation did not negatively affect conflict detection when assistance was activated manually. Moreover, anticipation of future losses of separation was improved by visual aids.

Reliability and Validity of the SHAPE Teamwork Questionnaire

Teamwork is performance-determining in aviation; therefore, design decisions on novel flight guidance systems use teamwork quality besides individual estimates as a major criterion. The SKATE model and questionnaire was developed to assess teamwork. The revision of the questionnaire yielded the SHAPE teamwork questionnaire (STQ), whose reliability and validity was analyzed in this paper. A study with 12 professional tower controllers was conducted, during which airports were controlled applying a standard team situation in three simulation runs. The STQ was administered after each run. The reliability analyses showed that the Cronbach’s Alphas of all six subscales were greater than α =.85. The criterion and construct validity analyses, however, revealed difficulties: The scales could not be replicated and the effect patterns with external criteria also opposed the expected ones. These results highlight the need to further analyze the STQ and the construct addressed by it, to be able to soundly decide on novel flight guidance systems.