Evaluation of Vector Geospatial Databases in Cockpit Moving-Map Displays to Improve Pilot Performance

摘要

Today's military pilots are bombarded with information from moving- maps and other advanced cockpit displays. Current moving-map displays in the AV- 8B Harrier and F/A-18 Hornet naval aircraft are based on scanned aeronautical charts, which are familiar to pilots but present an unalterable - and sometimes illegible - display. When mission-planning symbols (i.e., targets, threats, routes, etc.) are overlaid on these scanned-map displays, the result can be extremely cluttered. In contrast, the advent of 'vector' geospatial databases offers the potential for customized moving-maps, in which user-specified geospatial features can be layered (with or without a base-map, such as satellite imagery) to suit specific mission requirements. The primary disadvantage of vector-based cockpit moving maps is the potential for increased pilot workload, unless these new map displays are carefully designed for the target user.