Embedded Measures human factors lab

The new lab is unique in its integration of multiple modalities. It includes several video cameras, simulator data, physiological readings and two eye trackers. All data can be synchronized and viewed in The Observer XT software provided by Noldus. Integration of data is crucial to successful human factors research. One modality only says so much.

Eye tracking for instance tells what the subject looked at, but only when combined with flight data and simulator images will you know whether he was paying attention to the right cues. Video observations synced with other sources of information provides more in-depth information about the subject’s responses than any single source of response data. You often also need to know the pilot’s mental state, because he may not pick up on cues due to fatigue or mental load. Incorporating physiological measures with performance data can give better insights into the subject’s internal state than performance data alone.

Accurate synchronization is the key to proper data integration. Without it, it is impossible to follow the course of events and to tell causes from effects - a daunting technical challenge. Each recording device has its own clock, and they are rarely in sync. There can be offsets, drift and jitter between the signals that distort the data, and obscure the actual process. In the EM project, this has been overcome by using several sync mechanisms that are built into The Observer XT.

The Observer XT software also offers manual behavior recording, comments, and extensive quantitative analysis. This allows the researchers to make detailed analyses of the frequency, duration, and order of events. Important video and data fragments can be exported for presentation to developers, management or others.