The study presented in the following starts from the research of reliable indexes for monitoring the cognitive workload that the pilots face during flight missions besides the operational performances. In fact, the availability of such indexes should be an useful tool for the assessment of the spare cognitive capacity of the pilots during the flight, that is the available capacity for facing unexpected unusual attitudes or emergency situations. Those cerebral indicators could be used for the evaluation of the novice’s improvements during their pilot formation. Useful information and differences between a group of novice and expert military pilots, in terms of brain activity, have been found during flight simulations using those indexes. The experimental sessions consisted in simulated flights for unusual upset recovery training with the MB339 – alpha airplane. During the cruise phase have been also done experimental tests by the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology for the Silent Communication. The participants have been divided in two groups, the first one was of the Experts with a mean total flight hours of 1450 and 467 hours on the MB339 and the second one was of the Novices with a mean total flight hours of 157 and 36 hours on the MB339. Their brain activities were recorded and analyzed by the high resolution electroencephalography (HREEG). In addition, there have been recorded also the autonomic activities, as heart rate and eye blinks rate. Specific neurometric indexes have been defined for the correlation between the subjective workload assessment, by the NASA – TLX and a questionnaire for the difficulty evaluation, and the mental workload. At the end, the ANOVA statistical test has been done for evaluating the statistical significance. The results shown the existence of cognitive, emotional and performance differences between the novice and the expert pilots during the same flight activities. Brain and autonomic data were analyzed by defining specific indexes and then evaluating the variations in each phase of the flight simulation. The mean values of the workload index and of the heart rate of the novices were higher than those of the experts, showing that the novices’ workload was greater and that the experts were more relaxed during the simulated flight mission. Also, the mean value of the eye blinks rate was lower for the experts than for the novices, and this means that the first group paid more attention to what they were doing and to what happened in the surrounding environment. Confirmations of these facts have been found both from the analysis of the cortical maps, in which the novices’ cortical activity in different frequency bands was greater than the experts’ cortical activity, and from the mean total scores of the NASA – TLX and of the subjective difficulty evaluation. In this study it was possible to evaluate the usefulness of the workload index from the neurometric measures (EEG, blinks rate and heart rate) of military pilots. The results suggest the possibility to use benchmarks during the educational formation of the pilots for their performances evaluation with respect to specific reference values and parameters. In addition, it will be possible to adapt the educational flight programs in relation to the individual operational necessities, improving the organization of all the operational units and of the pilots’ training.
Gianluca Borghini, Roberto Isabella, Giovanni Vecchiato, Jlenia Toppi, Laura Astolfi, Carlo Caltagirone, et al. (2012). A FLIGHT HISTORY FROM A COGNITIVE POINT OF VIEW: NOVICES VERSUS EXPERTS. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF AEROSPACE MEDICINE, 7, 46-59.
A FLIGHT HISTORY FROM A COGNITIVE POINT OF VIEW: NOVICES VERSUS EXPERTS
BORGHINI, GIANLUCA;
2012
Abstract
The study presented in the following starts from the research of reliable indexes for monitoring the cognitive workload that the pilots face during flight missions besides the operational performances. In fact, the availability of such indexes should be an useful tool for the assessment of the spare cognitive capacity of the pilots during the flight, that is the available capacity for facing unexpected unusual attitudes or emergency situations. Those cerebral indicators could be used for the evaluation of the novice’s improvements during their pilot formation. Useful information and differences between a group of novice and expert military pilots, in terms of brain activity, have been found during flight simulations using those indexes. The experimental sessions consisted in simulated flights for unusual upset recovery training with the MB339 – alpha airplane. During the cruise phase have been also done experimental tests by the Brain Computer Interface (BCI) technology for the Silent Communication. The participants have been divided in two groups, the first one was of the Experts with a mean total flight hours of 1450 and 467 hours on the MB339 and the second one was of the Novices with a mean total flight hours of 157 and 36 hours on the MB339. Their brain activities were recorded and analyzed by the high resolution electroencephalography (HREEG). In addition, there have been recorded also the autonomic activities, as heart rate and eye blinks rate. Specific neurometric indexes have been defined for the correlation between the subjective workload assessment, by the NASA – TLX and a questionnaire for the difficulty evaluation, and the mental workload. At the end, the ANOVA statistical test has been done for evaluating the statistical significance. The results shown the existence of cognitive, emotional and performance differences between the novice and the expert pilots during the same flight activities. Brain and autonomic data were analyzed by defining specific indexes and then evaluating the variations in each phase of the flight simulation. The mean values of the workload index and of the heart rate of the novices were higher than those of the experts, showing that the novices’ workload was greater and that the experts were more relaxed during the simulated flight mission. Also, the mean value of the eye blinks rate was lower for the experts than for the novices, and this means that the first group paid more attention to what they were doing and to what happened in the surrounding environment. Confirmations of these facts have been found both from the analysis of the cortical maps, in which the novices’ cortical activity in different frequency bands was greater than the experts’ cortical activity, and from the mean total scores of the NASA – TLX and of the subjective difficulty evaluation. In this study it was possible to evaluate the usefulness of the workload index from the neurometric measures (EEG, blinks rate and heart rate) of military pilots. The results suggest the possibility to use benchmarks during the educational formation of the pilots for their performances evaluation with respect to specific reference values and parameters. In addition, it will be possible to adapt the educational flight programs in relation to the individual operational necessities, improving the organization of all the operational units and of the pilots’ training.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
