Integration of automated decision aids with a prototype air traffic control interface in support of time-based surface operations

The implementation of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) will necessarily require new types of air traffic control automation to support advanced procedures. In addition, existing forms of automation will need to be enhanced to reduce controller workload in support of these new procedures. It is critical that automated systems, often performing multiple functions, be appropriately designed to support high levels of operator situation awareness and maintain adequate failure performance. Three different versions of a prototype ground controller interface were tested in a simulation of Dallas/Forth-Worth International Airport for their effect on efficiency of surface operations. Two versions featured automated decision aids based on a near to mid-term NextGen equipage assumption and a third served as a baseline with no automated decision aid. The two automated decision aids filled fundamentally different functions within the overall system, with a Temporal Constraint Visualization (TCV) providing a graphical presentation of spatiotemporal constraints on the departure sequence and a Timeline display providing a graphical presentation of a scripted release sequence based on an optimization algorithm. Results indicate that aircraft controlled in the TCV display condition had significantly less taxi delay and stops in the departure queue than the Baseline and Timeline conditions. No significant differences were found between conditions for mean departure time deviation or response time to arrival aircraft. These results indicate that, by appropriately utilizing automation in decision aid design, task performance in complex domains can be improved while allowing the human operator to retain full control of the decision making process. Additional research is warranted to investigate failure mode performance using these decision aids