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Abstract:
In attitude target tracking tasks with a compensatory visual display, pilot tracking performance is found to increase significantly when rotational motion cues are available. The pilot utilizes the system attitude information to reduce the order of the controlled system, yielding an easier equivalent system which is controlled by the visual response. A system-theoretical sensitivity study of the multi-channel pilot-vehicle system observed in compensatory target tasks, revealed that optimal performance is attained when the required lead is generated with the motion perception channel, causing the visual lead time constant to reduce and the visual gain to increase. The interaction of visual and vestibular perception channels is such that the total open-loop response function approximates a single-integrator system. To evaluate the function of system attitude perception in human control behavior in compensatory target-following tasks, a pitch tracking experiment, in which the availability and presentation of attitude information was varied systematically, was conducted in the SIMONA Research Simulator. Analysis of the performance and control behavior of seven subjects, revealed that human pilots are able to perceive and utilize system attitude information, presented both through visual and vestibular cues, to improve tracking performance considerably. Perception capabilities of the vestibular system were found to be superior to those of the visual system, which resulted in significantly better performance for target tracking tasks with motion.
