Frames of reference and electronic anchors: An investigation of map displays for helicopter flight
Harwood, Kelly
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/21507
Description
Title
Frames of reference and electronic anchors: An investigation of map displays for helicopter flight
Author(s)
Harwood, Kelly
Issue Date
1989
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Wickens, Christopher D.
Department of Study
Psychology
Discipline
Psychology
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Psychology, Experimental
Language
eng
Abstract
Maps are important for most forms of navigational flight. Yet for helicopter flight they are critical. Different map displays for Nap of the Earth (NOE) and Low Level helicopter flight were configured according to previous research on spatial cognition in large scale environments. Interest centered on representations of spatial knowledge that would best support helicopter navigational problem solving. Maps either rotated to show an ego frame of reference, or were fixed to portray a north-up, world frame of reference. Color and word 'anchors' were added to the periphery of the maps and were also projected on the windshield to facilitate attention switching between the outside environment and the map display. Twenty skilled pilots used the maps to complete several navigational tasks that occurred within a realistic simulation program tailored for helicopter navigation. Results were mixed. Distance estimation, wayfinding, and the orientation component of the target location score were generally facilitated by the fixed map, while reorienting from an unfamiliar location was facilitated by the rotating map. Color anchors facilitated wayfinding and target location, but degraded performance on distance estimation and orienting from an unfamiliar location. The results are interpreted according to three perspectives of navigational tasks and map displays: task complexity, map-environment consistency, and the correspondence between spatial knowledge and maps.
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