Development of the Acceleration-Performance Assessment and Simulation Systems (A-PASS)

A novel approach to measuring human performance under high angular acceleration (especially, but not limited to centrifuge research) is developed in this Phase I proposal. The approach begins with intensive interaction between the operational user community and the performance-test developers to define "boundary" or criterion performances which answer the question "Can a given mission be achieved under expected G-loadings?" These boundary performances are then decomposed into part-tasks, and high construct-validity simulations of these are designed (avoiding academically pure but construct-limited synthetic tasks). These simulations provide traditional metrics (reaction time, percent correct, etc.), but are directly related to critical elements of operational tasks. In a second stage of the effort, data such as those which would be collected in actual experiments are used in mission effectiveness computer models to answer the question "How well can this mission's tasks be performed under the expected G-loadings?" These models permit the laboratory data to be generalized to any type of mission, and result in output data phrased in terms of probable mission impact of various flight profiles, tactics, or protective devices in the acceleration environment. Phase I will produce a completely specified performance assessment strategy for centrifuge research, engineering designs for the system, and demonstration of both the performance assessment and mission effectiveness modeling approaches.