Legibility of Alpha-Numeric Information as a Function of Display Rotation

摘要

The study was performed to examine the information requirements and the optimal presentation of navigation and horizontal position information. Examination of the rotary wing pilot displays emphasising the pictorial qualities has indicated the desirability of using a moving pictorial map display. Several reasons prompted this decision: (1) research indicated that for the critical maneuvering of the steep gradient vehicles at low level and slow speeds the use of a moving map was superior; (2) direct sensor information such as radar can best be superimposed on a moving map display and (3) the moving elements of a moving man display are compatible with those of the pictorial vertical display. The use of the moving map generates special problems. One of these is the requirement to read alpha-numeric information at various degrees of rotation, including inverted. This study examined the ability of Ss to read such data. Correctness of response and time to respond were the scores recorded during a presentation of the visual stimulus. The stimulus displays were world and number of various lengths taken from aeronautical charts. It was concluded that (1) the legibility of word information is most difficult when displayed in an inverted or near inverted position and (2) the legibility of numeric information does not pose a problem when displayed at any degree or rotation.