Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) as a Compensatory Aid for Sensory Loss

Abstract

The Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) began as a sensory cue to counteract pilot spatial disorientation. More recent adaptations of TSAS provide feedback for postural instability and spatial cues for persons with hearing loss. This demonstration included a brief presentation on past TSAS developments and recent applications. Attendees experienced an interactive demonstration of the TSAS hover-drift countermeasure for helicopter pilots, as well as recent applications of vibrotactile cues for looming, for postural stability, and for aiding target localization in pilots with noise-induced hearing loss. OBJECTIVESThe purpose of this demonstration was to educate human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) professionals about recent developments and applications of the Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS; Rupert, 2000). The presentation summarized the origins of TSAS and efforts to expand its utility within the aviation and medical domains. The presentation was followed by interactive demonstrations with audience members. BACKGROUND

The Neurovestibular Challenges of Astronauts and Balance Patients: Some Past Countermeasures and Two Alternative Approaches to Elicitation, Assessment and Mitigation

“…It has long been known that situations where the locally-defined “up and down” are ambiguous or unexpected can elicit disorientation and motion sickness symptoms among astronauts (Nicogossian et al, 1988). It is also known that providing a tactile reference can aid with orientation and performance during spaceflight (Lackner and DiZio, 2000; van Erp and van Veen, 2006; Clément et al, 2007) or piloting of an aircraft (Rupert, 2000; Kelley et al, 2013; Brill et al, 2014). In these cases, body tilt or motion that has not been perceived correctly causes the tactile cue to vibrate much like a rumble strip vibrates a driver who is veering off the road.…”