NASA SBIR 02-1 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Micro Analysis & Design Inc
4949 Pearl East Circle, Suite 300
Boulder , CO   80301 - 2477
(303 ) 442 - 6947

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Mr. John Keller
jkeller@maad.com
4949 Pearl East Circle, Suite 300
Boulder , CO   80301 - 2477
(303 ) 442 - 6947

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The Cockpit System Situational Awareness Modeling Tool will use the principles of discrete event simulation to predict pilot situational awareness (SA). The human performance modeling environment of IMPRINT combined with the cognitive modeling tool ACT-R will provide a powerful tool for the designers of cockpit systems. IMPRINT can already be used to predict pilot workload and assess the effects of performance shaping factors on pilot tasks. The use of ACT-R to add the SA prediction capability will dramatically increase the usefulness of the tool. The capability of predicting pilot SA will allow design concepts to be assessed early in the design process and supplement data collected through comparatively more expensive pilot in-the-loop experiments. NASA is continuing to play an important role in the development of new operational concepts for the National Airspace System (NAS) as they explore the feasibility of transferring separation responsibility from the ground-based air traffic control system to the flight deck. The impact on the pilot?s SA of new tools designed to support these efforts must be understood to ensure that safety and efficiency of the NAS is maintained. Likewise any commercial developer of cockpit systems will benefit from the use of this tool.

POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
The Cockpit System Situational Awareness Modeling Tool could assist air transport cockpit designers with developing decision aids and displays that would provide new levels of pilot SA needed to support the Free Flight concept of transferring separation responsibility from the ground-based air traffic control system to the flight deck. In addition, a general aviation derivative of the tool could be used for designing cockpit systems for general aviation pilots whose wider range of experience and skills require displays and instrumentation that must be robust to situational awareness needs while inhibiting information overload.

POTENTIAL NASA APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
NASA often includes SA in the standard data collection process during simulator experiments and flight tests of new systems. The ability to predict pilot SA during the design of a new system will greatly improve the efficiency of the design process while reducing the costs. In addition, the required investigation to support the modeling effort will lead to a greater understanding of SA in aviation safety from a basic research perspective.