The impact of ATC automation on a controller´s visual attention

A decision support aid to assist controllers in merging area navigation (RNAV) flows was evaluated by the MITRE Corporation´s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD). The goal of this effort was to gather objective performance data to quantify the benefits of an automation prototype on the demands of the air traffic control (ATC) task. A dual-task methodology was used to assess the spare cognitive/perceptual resources of an experienced controller when managing traffic with and without the automation. Two implementations of the automation were evaluated, one where the controller communicated with the flight crew via voice and another via datalink. The results suggest that a dual-task methodology can help quantify the benefits of ATC automation in terms of assessing controller cognitive/perceptual resources.