Automated Human and System Performance Assessment in Operational Environments

The development of complex aviation weapons systems involves flight testing at various stages of the design cycle. Test pilots are highly trained individuals with flight and assessment skills necessary to evaluate the performance of test articles. Test pilots might subconsciously use their high level of expertise and skill to compensate for adverse test article traits. What is needed is a system that allows for automatic quantification and documentation of pilot workload expenditure and performance for use during the flight test cycle. This will provide test pilots with enhanced means to identify adverse test article traits early in the design-test cycle. We propose to develop a self-contained, flight hardened system that predicts pilot procedural behavior and quantifies the experienced cognitive loading using fused sources of real-time information derived from a normative behavior model, human operator, aircraft state, and situational context. We call this the Automated Human System Performance Assessment (AHSPA) tool. The AHSPA tool will increase the probability of detection of adverse system traits during the flight test phase and thereby reduce/avoid costly fixes in fielded systems. We have a signed letter of intent from the USN Test Pilot school to work with our team as a potential transition customer.