Jonathan Svensson

Speech acts, communication problems, and fighter pilot team performance

Two aspects of team communication, speech acts and communication problems, and their relation to team performance in a team air combat simulator were studied. The purpose was to enhance the understanding of how team performance is related to team communication. Ten Swedish fighter pilots and four fighter controllers of varying experience participated. Data were collected during fighter simulator training involving four pilots and one fighter controller in each of two teams. Speech acts were collapsed over seven categories and communication problems over five categories. Communication was studied from two perspectives: critical situation outcome and mission outcome. Some problems were closely related to particular speech acts. Speech act frequency, especially meta-communications and tactics, was highest when winning. However, the timing of tactics in critical situations needs further research. Communication problem frequency was highest for runs which ended equally. The most common problem was simultaneous speech, possibly because of the simulator radio system. The number of speech acts was related to enhanced performance but in a complex manner. Thus in order to work efficiently team members need to communicate, but to communicate sufficiently and at appropriate times. This work has applications for fighter pilot and controller team training and the development of communication standards.

Multimodal threat cueing in simulated combat vehicle with tactile information switching between threat and waypoint indication

We investigated four display configurations for threat cueing in a simulated combat vehicle. The display configurations were a tactile belt only; the tactile belt combined with 3D audio; two visual displays combined with 3D audio; and a multimodal configuration (the visual displays, the tactile belt and 3D audio combined). The tactile display was also used for navigation information. The participants main task was to drive according to the navigation information, and when threat cueing onsets occurred, as fast as possible align the heading of the combat vehicle with the displayed direction of the threat. The tactile display thus switched between navigation and treat cueing information. Performance was overall best with the multimodal display. Threat localization error was smallest with the visual and multimodal displays. The response time was somewhat longer with the tactile belt only, and especially in the front sector. This indicates interference between the two tasks, when threat cueing onsets occurred at the same position as the navigation information. This should however not be a problem in a real combat vehicle, since the sound alert will most likely not be excluded. Thus, if coded correctly tactile information may be presented for both navigation and threat cueing.

Indication of Direction with Digital Map - Effects of Display Size and Time Constraints

Dismounted soldiers today use digital support for navigation and presentation of direction, and most likely such support will become standard equipment. Therefore, it is important to investigate how factors such as display size and performance time influence the ability to transform information on the map to positions in the terrain. An experiment was performed with two display sizes (3.5-inch and 9.7-inch). The participants’ task was to indicate direction to positions in the terrain represented by target symbols on a digital map with four different time limits (5s, 10s, 15s, and 20s). Participants with low spatial ability (measured by PTSOT) had lower precision with the small display, whereas participants with medium and high spatial ability performed equally well with both displays. When the time limit was shortened, task load increased, but performance was not affected. The results also confirm that important aspects of spatial ability can be discriminated by PTSOT.

Target Designation and Indication with GPS Map in Night-Op Conditions

Previous experiments have shown that target indication supported by satellite-guided positioning with map on a GPS device can be made with high precision in daylight. Since the ability of military units to operate in night-op conditions is vital, the possibilities of using such equipment with night vision goggles was tested in a night-time experiment with ten officers. Their tasks were 1) to designate direction and distance to targets visible in the terrain, and 2) to identify target positions in the terrain. They performed the tasks both with GPS device and with conventional verbal target designation. Precision was approximately equal whether the tasks were performed with the GPS device or verbally, but performance time was longer with GPS device. To elicit more information the officers also participated in focus group discussions. This provided important information on design and usage of a GPS device in night-op conditions, e.g. concerning compatibility with other systems and usability in cold weather.

Supporting Spatial Awareness with a Hand-Held GPS-Device – Effects of Degree of Support and Light Conditions

Navigating in the terrain and at the same time keeping track other groups in the unit, enemy targets, and important terrain positions is often a hard task for dismounted soldiers, especially in night-ops conditions. To investigate if performance can be improved by GPS support an experiment was performed. A platoon navigated in the terrain and squad leaders indicated direction and distance to other squads and fixed terrain positions, both in daylight and darkness. Tasks were performed with full GPS support both for navigation and indication, with limited GPS support only for navigation, and with no GPS support. Precision of indications of direction to moving positions improved with full GPS support. To improve indication of distance with GPS support, functions that provide distance information must be used. A GPS device in combination with a night vision device can be used to support these tasks in darkness.

Dismounted Soldier System Considerations – User Feedback from Three Field Studies with Two Variants of a Hand-Held GPS Support System

Dismounted soldier systems (DSS) are developed for armed forces around the world, and several usability issues need to be considered. Feedback from soldiers after field studies provides critical insight into user needs, problems and possibilities, guiding the development towards efficient future DSS design and recommendations for procurement. Three field studies were performed with armed forces personnel, using two variants of a GPS system as a DSS. Feedback was collected in the form of questionnaire answers and focus group discussions. Most soldiers agreed upon large benefits of a DSS for platoon and squad leaders, but found it unnecessary for individual soldiers. Benefits of a DSS with evolved functions for navigation and battlefield spatial awareness were mentioned in all studies. Major concerns were battery life, information security, light emission when used in darkness, compatibility with other systems, developing tactics, and the need for sufficient training.

Performance of dismounted soldiers during waypoint navigation in darkness using GNSS-supported digital map or paper map

Navigating in unknown terrain on foot in darkness is in many aspects challenging. This can be facilitated by support of GNSS positioning, digital maps and night vision devices. To investigate the advantages of technical support and its use in darkness, an experimental study was performed. In this study, dismounted soldiers equipped with a night vision device navigated in darkness with either a GPS device (with digital map) or a paper map and compass. The results showed that the distance traversed was shorter and that the soldiers needed significantly less time to navigate when supported by the GPS device compared to using a paper map and compass. The main reason for this difference was that the proportion of time in motion was significantly larger when the GPS device was used. Also, subjective ratings showed significantly higher preference for the GPS device than for the paper map and compass.

Hand-Held Support for Spatial Awareness for the Dismounted Soldier

This contribution presents a summary of activities performed in an ongoing military research project aiming at investigating the impact of navigational support on spatial awareness. Investigated tasks are e.g. indication of direction to objects beyond visual range with and without navigational support, display size, performance time, and use of GPS device in darkness. The results indicate that the ability to keep track of targets in the terrain without a technical aid is very poor, but with a GPS device targets can be indicated with relatively high precision. Precision on target indication is slightly better with a larger display, it seems possible to indicate as fast as 5 seconds with a GPS device without impairments of precision, and a GPS device can be used for target indication in darkness. Spatial ability measured by PTSOT can discriminate important aspects of spatial ability with direct relevance for navigation and target indication.

Tactile Torso Display For Fighter Pilots – Wing-Oriented And Horizon-Oriented Presentation:

The demonstration proposed will feature two different tactile presentation principles in a software flight simulation which presents missile warnings multimodally using a tactile torso display, audio, and a visual display. In a recent experiment, the tactile torso display with 36 tactors in three rows by 12 columns was developed and integrated into a fighter flight simulator. Two principles of tactile presentation for warnings of incoming missiles were used and compared to using no tactile display when performing evasive maneuvers. The tactile presentation of the vector to the missile was either oriented to the horizon or to the aircraft’s wings, taking pitch and roll into account. Results indicate no significant difference in reaction time or maneuver completion time between principles; however pilots were positive to the tactile display and could see benefits of both presentation principles in different situations.