Procedure and Dynamic Display Relocation on Performance in a Multitask Environment

Abstract—In this paper, the responses of experienced profes-sional pilots to change in interface configuration and differing au-tomated invocation procedures were examined using a simulated flight-task environment. Performance was evaluated on three sub-tasks: two-dimensional compensatory tracking; fuel management; and systems monitoring. The status of automation, which was available for tracking and fuel management only, was conveyed by a change in display configuration represented by either a reduction in the size of the relevant display or by a reduction in size accompanied by its displacement to a peripheral spatial location. Combined with these interface-configuration changes were two forms of automation invocation procedure, which were pilot-initiated automation and system-initiated automation. Each was compared to a standard manual-control condition. Results indicated several response asymmetries. While tracking showe