DSTO is investigating the ability of Defence personnel to manage their tasks while traveling in ground vehicles.
The study examines the effects of motion on cognitive and physical performance using a simulator capable of replicating various kinds of motion, vibration and noise. Investment in these simulation technologies is seen to be crucial for better understanding the implications of motion on the performance of ground vehicle crews.
“The experience of riding in a vehicle is commonly one in which we get accustomed to movement and road noise, and so, come to ignore it – until faced with the need to perform a complex exercise like writing on paper,” researcher Justin Fidock said.
This work will also aid investigations into the role of simulation technologies in support of training, and help develop new ways of doing business with the advanced vehicle systems being acquired by Defence.
Motion effects in a static setting
The central component of the apparatus is a commercial D-box racing simulator chair, equipped with three actuators that generate motion in two rotational directions and a vertical linear direction. Vibration and jolt effects are generated via a low-frequency audio device called a ‘ButtKicker’.
The simulator is affectionately referred to as the ‘Chucky Chair’ due to the potential to induce motion sickness, similar to that experienced by occupants of cars.
In order to arrive at realistic test conditions, the DSTO researchers took a vehicle fitted with accelerometers over road surfaces of varying degrees of roughness. The recorded data were then fed into the simulator to replicate particular kinds of ride in a laboratory setting. Through these means, controlled reproducible experiments can be conducted.
Cognitive performance evaluations
The apparatus is being used to evaluate the usability of a Battle Management System soon to be introduced into Army vehicles, with personnel performance of command and control tasks being studied under mild and moderate motion stress conditions.
It has also produced valuable information on aspects of driver eye gaze. By adding an eye tracker to the system setup – mounted on a helmet that sits in front of the right eye – researchers have been able to study where drivers direct their gaze and how well they take in information in the periphery of their vision.
“We’ve established that the driver’s vision is primarily directed toward the centre of the simulated road,” Fidock said.
These findings are informing the development process of the display system for the LAnd Motion Platform (LAMP) simulator. The resultant change proposed is from a two-screen system with a distracting join through the middle where a driver’s gaze tends to remain, to a three screen setup with the exterior screens angled in, thereby improving the quality of the simulation experience.
This capability will enable the study of motion effects on up to four human test participants at a time, and will support much more realistic representation of a range of road and terrain conditions than is currently possible with the ‘Chucky Chair’.
The Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is part of Australia’s Department of Defence. DSTO’s role is to ensure the expert, impartial and innovative application of science and technology to the defence of Australia and its national interests.
