A study of airline pilots in the United Kingdom tracked how their eyes moved in a virtual reality (VR) flight training simulator. Results showed that eye gaze patterns of more experienced pilots tend to have fewer, but longer fixations. The scan path their eyes followed was less random and more structured compared to less experienced pilots. The paper was published in the International Journal of Aerospace Psychology.
Flight represents the quickest mode of transportation currently available. However, without sufficient training, it could also become the most perilous. Unlike operators of trains, boats, or cars, who can halt their vehicles with relative ease in case of an emergency, feel fatigued, or simply wish to stop, pilots of aircraft have far fewer options.
Moreover, the consequences of mishaps, such as crashes, are significantly more severe in aviation. Therefore, comprehensive and effective pilot training is crucial. It is also vital for this training to be conducted safely. Additionally, aviation and the act of flying are generally far more costly compared to operating other common modes of transport, necessitating that pilot training programs be both efficient and economical. This underscores the value of flight simulators in pilot training.
Simulators play a pivotal role in the training of aircraft pilots by offering a secure and controlled setting for practicing and mastering various flight scenarios, including emergency situations, without the inherent risks and expenses of real-life flying. They enable pilots to engage in repeated practice and receive instant feedback, crucial for the development of skills and confidence.
Virtual reality (VR) flight simulators possess several advantages over traditional simulation methods. They offer a more immersive experience, fostering a more authentic sense of space and depth, which is beneficial for improving spatial awareness and situational understanding. VR simulators are more adaptable and flexible, permitting swift alterations to scenarios and environments without necessitating physical changes to the simulator’s hardware. They are also potentially more cost-efficient, requiring less physical space and fewer components. Additionally, with the rapid advancement of VR technology, the simulations become increasingly realistic and detailed.
In their new study, David J. Harris and his colleagues conducted a study to assess the effectiveness and psychological realism of a new VR air crew competency training simulation. The simulation goggles were equipped with eye tracking software, enabling the researchers to monitor and record the eye movement patterns of users. The study aimed not only to evaluate the users’ sense of immersion during the simulation but also to investigate the correlation between real-world piloting expertise, eye movements during the simulation, and expert evaluations of performance.
The researchers hypothesized that if the simulator accurately replicated the demands of real-world piloting, there would be a discernible link between the users’ real-world experience, their eye movements, and their simulation performance.
The study involved 18 airline pilots from the L3 Harris Airline Academy in Crawley, Gatwick, UK. These participants were required to have familiarity with the Airbus A320 aircraft systems but were not necessarily certified to fly this model or had a specific number of flying hours. The group consisted of 17 males and one female, with ages ranging from 22 to 62 years, and an average age of 39. On average, they had accumulated 2,856 flight hours on A320 series aircraft, with individual totals ranging from 0 to 7,500 hours.
The VR simulation environment was developed using Unity and C# programming languages, and participants accessed it through the Pico Neo 2 eye headset. Each pilot completed seven flight scenarios, interacting with the flight deck environment using Pico hand controllers.
To assess the simulation’s psychological fidelity, the researchers focused on the participants’ eye movements during two specific scenarios requiring a series of safety-critical visual checks and monitoring operations following safety alerts (the Rejected Take-Off scenario and the Blues System Hydraulic faults). After completing all flight scenarios, participants provided feedback on their sense of presence within the simulator (using the Presence Questionnaire), their workload (using the Simulation Task Load Index), and the realism of the environment. An expert flight trainer evaluated their performance in the simulated flight tasks.
The results demonstrated that the participants found both the simulation environment and the required movements convincing and valuable for training purposes. Their reported sense of presence was moderate. Real-world flying expertise was linked to specific eye gaze patterns during the simulation. More experienced pilots displayed a tendency for fewer, but longer, eye fixations during the tasks analyzed.
In essence, their gaze remained fixed on particular points for extended periods, and they exhibited less frequent shifts in focus. The visual scan paths of these more experienced pilots were more organized and less erratic. However, subjective performance ratings were not correlated with either real-world flying expertise or eye movement patterns.
The researchers concluded, ““Pilot reports indicated the simulation was realistic and potentially useful for training, while direct measurement of eye movements was useful for establishing construct validity and psychological fidelity of the simulation.”
This study illuminates the effectiveness of a new VR flight training simulation. Nonetheless, the assessments of flight performance were based on evaluations by a single expert flight trainer, potentially introducing bias and limiting the ability to scrutinize the reliability or validity of these evaluations.
The paper, “Assessing Expertise Using Eye Tracking in a Virtual Reality Flight Simulation,” was authored by D. J. Harris, T. Arthur, T. de Burgh, M. Duxbury, R. Lockett-Kirk, W. McBarnett, and S. J. Vine.