Employing three-dimensional displays in Air Traffic Control has been the object of study and debates for numerous years. Although empirical studies have often led to mixed results, some preliminary evidence suggests that training could be a suitable domain of application for 3D interfaces, however, little evidence is available to fully support this claim. We attempted to fill this gap with a project that aims at studying and evaluating 3D displays for ATC training purposes. This paper describes the first steps of this project, by reporting and discussing the results of a study aiming at understanding whether ATC trainees form a three-dimensional image of air traffic and at comprehending what the nature of this '3D picture' is.
Motivation -To identify a suitable interaction modality -among the ones currently implemented in a three-dimensional (3D) environment for Air Traffic Control-for allowing interactive exploration of and gathering information about 3D weather structures.Research approach -A usability study entailing four interaction modalities (also called 'interaction interfaces'): voice, wand, pen and sketch interfaces, across a task requiring 3D surface exploration, information gathering and recall of information. Quantitative data (time, errors and a composite performance index) as well as qualitative data were collected.Findings/Design -Overall, the results indicate that the wand supported a better performance when compared to the other interaction interfaces. Among the four interaction interfaces, the voice interface seems to present additional limitations, mostly related to time lag in the voice recognition, that were judged as a source of frustration.Originality/Value -The present work provides empirical results deriving from a comparative usability study of four interaction interfaces; it contributes to the study of interaction in 3D environments with new empirical data.
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