Olukayode Olofinboba

Integration of weather information into the dispatcher pre-flight route selection process

This paper describes a field study of the procedures and weather information sources used by a major airlines dispatchers in the pre-flight route selection process in the presence of significant weather. Additionally, this paper will describe how the AWIN decision-support tool, an aide for selecting optimal four-dimensional routes that avoid weather hazards, could be incorporated into the flight dispatch process to produce safer, more fuel-efficient routes that avoid hazardous weather. The challenges lie in effectively integrating route and weather information in the same application to facilitate decision-making, and to standardize the definitions of what weather is to be avoided and the thresholds of severity across an airlines dispatchers. The current work processes of a major airlines dispatchers were studied via a combination of observational field studies, interviews, written questionnaires, and surveys. With such a system in place, airlines can expect gains in safety, in fuel efficiency of planned routes, and in time efficiency in the preflight dispatch process.

Unique high-fidelity wraparound driving simulator for human factors research applications

A high-fidelity simulation facility used primarily for human factors research in driving worlds is described. Driving simulation has always been plagued by the struggle to achieve a reasonable amount of realism. It has image quality requirements that are as demanding as those of low-altitude flying simulation. In addition, driving simulators have computer intensive requirements for update rates and image delays to avoid loss of operator control. The wrap- around simulator project (WASP) was initiated at the University of Minnesota with the goal of creating a unique high-fidelity driving simulator that addressed the problems associated with earlier simulators. It was designed mainly for use in human factors research inside driving environments, though the possibility of expanding it to limited flying worlds exists. The resulting facility is capable of providing a 360 degree horizontal field of view to subjects, hence its name. It uses powerful graphics and data collection computers to maintain desired image quality, update frequency, image delay, and data collection frequency characteristics. The WASP is currently being used by human factors researchers to examine phenomena that were formerly unobservable in most driving simulators.