Effects of three-dimensional radar display on emotions and stress during ATCO training

Air Traffic Control (ATC) has always been an indispensable aspect of the aviation industry. As the number of flights worldwide increases, so does the demands of ATC centres around the world. Responsible for safe and efficacious traffic flow, Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) represent the core elements of ATC, providing navigational assistance and procedural instructions to pilots within the designated airspace. The consequential surge in air traffic has a substantial impact on the emotion and stress experienced by Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs), hence the extensive research into technological innovations to improve the mental states and health of controllers. This project aims to examine the effects of using a complimentary three-dimensional (3D) radar display on the emotions and stress of ATCOs during a training session. To determine the optimal training duration for the novel innovation with the criteria of most positive emotions and least stress levels as a basis, 12 ATCOs underwent a two-hour training simulation based on real-life scenarios. Variables were measured using subjective approaches (self-evaluation questionnaires) as well as physiological methods (Electroencephalogram (EEG)). Results obtained were processed using mathematical models based on prior research and statistically evaluated with the use of SPSS analytics. From the experimental results, it was observed that while emotions do not have a definitive impact on the training duration, stress levels have a statistically significant effect. Furthermore, analysis demonstrated moderate and weak correlations between subjective and physiological measures for emotions and stress respectively. Conclusively, it was shown that the EEG data obtained provided a superior representation of the participants’ mental state in terms of accuracy and reliability. Therefore, based on the EEG stress data, the optimal training duration of 50 minutes is recommended.Bachelor of Engineering (Aerospace Engineering