Attention and Entropy in Simulated Flight with Varying Cognitive Loads

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study is conducted to observe the effects of cognitive load on the visual search and attention allocation strategies of pilots. Research on pilots’ visual search strategies can provide valuable information regarding attention distribution and transformation, as well as useful situation awareness (SA) predictions.METHODS: A total of 18 pilots performed flight tasks in a two-condition (high and low cognitive load) within-subject experiment to compare their flight performance and eye movement indicators. Eye movements were tracked during the flight mission by a portable eye-tracking device.RESULTS: Compared to the low cognitive load task, in the high cognitive load task, the subjects exhibited shorter average fixation times (M = 420.38, SD = 60.56), higher fixation frequencies (M = 2.27, SD = 0.30), and lower saccade frequencies (M = 2.7, SD = 0.31). Their flight performance was better during the low cognitive load task, as evidenced by the lower entropy (M = 0.11, SD = 0.03) of their eye movements. Analysis of fixation time percentages and fixation counts showed that the distribution of attention to each area of interest was adjusted dynamically over the course of the given task.DISCUSSION: Significant differences were observed in both fixation order and fixation frequency across the instrument array. When the cognitive load is high, the subjects used more efficient eye movement patterns and search strategies accompanying a higher level of SA.Lu T, Lou Z, Shao F, Li Y, You X. Attention and entropy in simulated flight with varying cognitive loads. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2020; 91(6):489–495.

The effects of task difficulty on gaze behaviour during landing with visual flight rules in low-time pilots

“…Further demonstrating that the scanning of information in these AOI’s was reduced at the cost of spending more time fixating on or around the runway, which contributed to the reduction in dwell time percentages in these respective AOIs. These findings echo previous work by Van de Merwe et al ( 64 ), which found that fixation rates on various instruments were related to their problem-relevance; with the runway being of prime importance ( 14 ; 46 ). Interestingly, a study by Babu et al ( 7 ) demonstrated that fighter pilots increased their fixation frequency when task difficulty increased during a longitudinal target tracking task, while Tole et al ( 63 ) found no change in the fixation rate of military pilots associated with turbulence in a landing task.…”

“…For instance, experienced pilots tend to fixate relevant cockpit gauges for briefer periods of time more frequently compared to novice pilots ( 28 ). Additionally, our fixation rate does correct for the increased time spent completing the landing task during the turbulent conditions, whereas previous studies simply reported the fixation frequency count ( 31 ; 46 ; 61 ). Taken together, our traditional eye movement analysis measures suggest that the allocation of attention in low-time pilots became more biased toward the runway in order to monitor and extract the necessary information needed to land during challenging turbulent flight scenarios.…”

“…The effects of task difficulty on gaze behaviour during landing with visual flight rules in low-time pilots conditions, whereas previous studies simply reported the fixation frequency count (Harris et al, 1986;Lu et al, 2020;Spady, 1978). Taken together, our traditional eye movement analysis measures suggest that the allocation of attention in low-time pilots became more biased toward the runway in order to monitor and extract the necessary information needed to land during challenging turbulent flight scenarios.…”

Multimodal Analysis of Eye Movements and Fatigue in a Simulated Glass Cockpit Environment

“…Eye tracking is nonintrusive and can provide measures such as eye fixation position (or location), duration, pupil dilation, visual scanpath (i.e., the time-order of the eye fixations that occurred on display), saccade, blink, and eyelid closure [19,20,32,[37][38][39], in which eyelid closure slowed as fatigue increased [37,38] and saccadic velocity decreased as fatigue increased after long simulated flights [19,20,32,[37][38][39].…”

Assessing oral comprehension with an eye tracking based innovative device in critically ill patients and healthy volunteers: a cohort study

“…Eye-tracking technology is used in several fields like medicine [ 17 – 21 ], surgery [ 22 , 23 ], psychology or aerospace [ 24 ]. This technology relies on a video-based eye tracker which determines gaze direction by measuring the position of the corneal reflection of an infrared light relative to the pupil.…”