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Air Traffic Control Human Factors Research Program

Updated:02:58 PM March 20, 2009

This program conducts basic human factors research in the air traffic control domain.  We examine medium- and long-term issues relating to the safety and capacity of the National Airspace System, particularly as those issues relate to controller performance, workload, and cognitive abilities.  We seek to understand how air traffic controllers do their jobs today and how they might be affected by future ATC operational concepts, equipment, or procedures.  We use realistic human-in-the-loop simulation tools to study controllers in dynamic,  complex environments.  We have world-class data collection and analysis capabilities that allow us to examine human factors issues in quantitative, objective ways.

Recent Projects

• Integrated Arrival/Departure Air Traffic Control Service - "Big Airspace"
• Advanced Weather Information for Air Traffic Controllers
• Tower Operations and Digital Data System (TODDS)
• Future En Route Workstation (FEWS)
• Future Terminal Workstation (FTWS)
• Air Traffic Control Display Standard

Past Projects

• Air Traffic Control Specialist Performance Measurement Database (ATCSPMDB)
• Air Traffic Control Tower Complexity
• Collocation
• Area Navigation (RNAV) at San Francisco
• Study of an ATC Baseline for the Evaluation of Team Configuration (SABET)
• Air-Ground Integration Experiment (AGIE)
• Application of Color to Reduce Complexity in Air Traffic Control

Updated: March 20, 2009 02:58 PM