Electrophysiological Data and Aviator Performance: Identifying Measures for Operator State Monitoring

Abstract

In an effort to identify physiological measures to be used for identifying aviator operator state, a study was completed evaluating electroencephalograph (EEG) data recorded during simulated flight. Eight Army aviators participated in the study. EEG data were recorded during a baseline and high workload flights. Correlational analyses examining the relationship between EEG data and flight performance data found a relationship between frontal alpha activity and altitude deviations. The findings suggest that EEG is a candidate measure for detecting operator state in rotary-wing aviators.

Measuring aviator workload using EEG: an individualized approach to workload manipulation

“…Prior to participation, all participants provided informed written consent. The data reported here are a subset of data from a larger study (Feltman et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Rotary-wing aviators are prone to experience a high workload during many routine flights as the maneuverability of these airframes allow for flight at much lower altitudes, often near obstacles, as compared to fixedwing airframes. As such, several studies to-date have focused on manipulating workload during simulated flight while measuring physiological changes from the aviator (Feltman et al, 2020(Feltman et al, , 2021. The overarching purpose of these studies was to identify which physiological measures can reliably differentiate between a high and low workload condition.…”

Table_1.docx

“…Prior to participation, all participants provided informed written consent. The data reported here are a subset of data from a larger study (Feltman et al, 2021).…”

“…Rotary-wing aviators are prone to experience a high workload during many routine flights as the maneuverability of these airframes allow for flight at much lower altitudes, often near obstacles, as compared to fixedwing airframes. As such, several studies to-date have focused on manipulating workload during simulated flight while measuring physiological changes from the aviator (Feltman et al, 2020(Feltman et al, , 2021. The overarching purpose of these studies was to identify which physiological measures can reliably differentiate between a high and low workload condition.…”