IIFD shares and applies research products (e.g., knowledge) to support industry and government in the progression towards more capable and safer flight deck systems.

IIFD research is based on a vision for future flight deck systems that includes systematic incorporation of integrated displays and interactions, decision-aiding (decision-support) functions, information management and abstraction, and appropriate human/automation function allocations. The future flight deck system is aware of the vehicle, operator, and airspace system state and responds appropriately. The system senses internal and external hazards, evaluates them, and provides key information to facilitate timely and appropriate responses. The system is robust and is adaptable to the addition of new functions and information sources as they become available.

To achieve this vision, IIFD comprises a multi-disciplinary research effort to develop mitigations for operator-, automation-, and environment-induced hazards for future operational concepts. IIFD leverages, and depends on, others to develop mitigations of other hazard categories that may affect the flight deck - such as degraded vehicle health states.

IIFD addresses, from the flight deck safety perspective, the integration of IIFD-developed capabilities with future communications, navigation, Air Traffic Management (ATM), and vehicle technologies being investigated by others either within NASA, other government agencies, or industry.

IIFD fosters the development of an improved predictive capability for considering application domains beyond those that can be validated directly through experimental means.

Latest News

		NRA Opportunities Announced Three new NRA opportunities have been announced, one under each of the Enabling Avionics, Robust Automation-Human Systems, and Operator Performance elements. Click here to view the complete ROA-2009 at the NSPIRES site. Proposals for each of the three topics are due on May 28, 2009. + Read More

		Semi-annual Flight Deck Research Working Group to meet in Seattle The next meeting of the FDRWG will be held in Seattle, WA on Tuesday May 5, 2009. Thales, USA will be hosting. The general meeting will be held in the morning with tours and demonstrations at Thales to follow in the afternoon, ending at 2:30 p.m. + Download Working Group Charter

		IIFD researcher and 737 pilot Bernjamin Berman Comments on Recent Accidents IIFD researcher and 737 pilot Benjamin Berman (Continental Airlines) was interviewed on National Public Radio’s All Things Considered on January 16 regarding USAirways flight 1549. Captain Berman, formerly NTSB chief of major investigations, collaborates on work conducted under the Operator Performance and Operator Characterization Element and coauthored the book The Limits of Expertise (see item below). He was also interviewed on All Things Considered regarding Comair Flight 5191. Click the below links to listen. + On USAirways Flight 1549 (1/16/09) + On Comair Flight 5191 (8/28/06)

		IIFD Researcher Conducts Pilot Cognition Studies IIFD Researcher Angela Harrivel is investigating the best methods for monitoring brain activity as part of a study designed to help airplane pilots realize when they are operating under dangerous levels of stress, fatigue and distraction. These methods can also help researchers to evaluate new technology or operating concepts for mitigating such issues. + Read More
		October 21-23, 2008, Aviation Safety Technical Conference This conference will be the second annual forum for NASA's Aviation Safety program and its government, industry, and academia partners to share their latest results and progress towards future goals with the broader aviation community, and to provide an opportunity for attendees to interact with their colleagues on collaborative issues. The IIFD Industry Working Group will also meet on the morning of the third day. + IIFD Agenda + To Request Proceedings + Download the Working Group Charter
		January 31, 2008: Aeronautics Technical Seminar: Equivalent Visual Flight Deck Technologies Reduced visibility affects the safety and efficiency of nearly all flight operations. As a result, researchers have looked for ways to improve and/or provide a vision capability to pilots that is independent of actual visibility or weather conditions. In recent years, research has focused on two technologies - Synthetic and Enhanced Vision Systems (SVS/EVS). + Visit Site
		NASA Researchers Author Book on Human Performance Modeling "Human Performance Modeling in Aviation" chronicles a six-year study involving a collaboration of five teams from industry and academia. Each of the five modeling teams were given two aviation-related operational contexts to use as test cases: approach and landing, and taxi. The book provides a deep understanding of issues associated with modeling these two contexts. It also includes a "virtual roundtable discussion" that poses questions to each of the five teams and offers take-home lessons and insights into the modeling process and its complexities. The book concludes with a summary of how modeling fits into a holistic system design and evaluation process. + Visit Site
		NASA Researchers Author Book on Pilot Error and Aircraft Accidents The majority of all aviation accidents are attributed primarily to human error, but this is often misinterpreted as evidence of lack of skill, vigilance, or conscientiousness of the pilots. "The Limits of Expertise" is a fresh look at the causes of pilot error and aviation accidents, arguing that accidents can be understood only in the context of how the overall aviation system operates. + Visit Site