VertiDigi - A New Working Environment for E-TMA

摘要

In this paper, we will describe a new working environment that has been designed in the framework of the ASTER project, Assistant for TERminal Sectors. The purpose of this project is to explore and propose new concepts for a working environment dedicated to Air Traffic Control in Terminal Sectors. An initial description of the characteristics of such sectors is given. An analysis of the tasks of controllers and their corresponding bottlenecks is given. The identification of these problems and difficulties opens the path to a tentative elaboration of a new interface, together with working methods. The first results described and illustrated is an interface, called VertiDigi, dedicated to arrival sectors. It consists of a vertical representation of traffic on a touch sensitive screen, which serves as a visualization and input device in lieu of the paper strips board. Discussion on the underlying concepts and advantages of the new interface follows. The possibility to even further augment the evocative and representative impact of this interface taking advantage of the touch screen possibilities, or connecting with other domains of the ATC research is evoked.