Operator Functional State Assessment and Dynamic Aiding Performance Tool (OFS-ADAPT)

As United States Air Force (USAF) missions become increasingly larger and more complex, the need for effective monitoring and assessment of operator state becomes ever more critical to mission success. Cognitive overload is, and will continue to be, a pervasive problem within a variety of operational settings. The potential for error is large, and the consequences of poor performance can be catastrophic to mission success. Solutions are needed to assist operators in maintaining optimal levels of cognitive functioning. In developing the Operator Functional State Assessment and Dynamic Aiding Performance Tool (OFS-ADAPT), Aptima and the University of Iowa Operator Performance Laboratory propose to conduct innovative research on integrating measures of psychophysiological state with performance on mission-relevant tasks. The keys to our proposed effort are: 1) leveraging advancements in psychophysiological, physiological, and system-based measurement technologies for obtaining reliable, real-time assessments of OFS; 2) establishing a conceptual model framework for classifying and integrating different types of measures; and 3) outlining a conceptual design of an adaptive aiding system, OFS-ADAPT, that will be useful across various roles, tasks, and domains. These Phase I efforts will lead to the design, development, and validation of OFS-ADAPT, which we will fully develop and evaluate in Phase II.