Quantifying Taskload and Workload with Instantaneous Power Spectrum: An Initial Assessment of 3D Conformal Cueing in Rotorcraft Shipboard Landings

Presented at the Vertical Flight Society 79th Annual Forum & Technology Display
Crew Stations and Human Factors Technical Session - Paper 1309
24 pages

https://doi.org/10.4050/F-0079-2023-18028

Abstract:
The authors present a novel taskload metric, Instantaneous Power Spectrum (IPS), and use the IPS to investigate the taskload of pilots conducting helicopter shipboard operations with and without cueing sets. A brief review of the most relevant studies on the application of time-frequency analysis to flight dynamics is provided to situate the reader. The authors derive the IPS from classical time-frequency analysis methods and modify it using foundational rotorcraft inceptor theory. The accuracy of IPS as a taskload metric is assessed by analyzing a small set of helicopter shipboard landing scenarios with and without the assistance of 3D Conformal Pilot Cueing. The goal of the study is to explore the relationship of power in crossover (0.5-1.0 Hz) and stabilization (1.0-2.5 Hz) frequency bands to the taskload experienced by the pilot. These initial results indicate that the IPS is comparable to the well-established time-varying power frequency and provides detailed insight into pilot taskload during maneuvers.

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