Effects of Pilot Workload on EEG Activity Recorded during the Performance of In-Flight Maneuvers in a UH-1 Helicopter

摘要

The present investigation was designed to: (1) assess the overall quality of EEG recordings collected from helicopter pilots during the actual performance of in-flight maneuvers; (2) determine whether there are workload-induced changes in the EEGs recorded under resting in-flight conditions and 'on-the-controls' in-flight conditions; and (3) evaluate whether in-flight EEGs are sufficiently sensitive to detect small changes in the workload levels associated with different types of flight maneuvers. Twenty subjects (10 aviators and 10 nonaviators) were tested during the performance of standardization flight profiles in a UH-1 helicopter. There was a resting eyes-open EEG condition at the beginning which EEG data were recorded. During the maneuvers, the pilots maintained full control of the aircraft and attempted to maintain ideal flight parameters. The nonaviators sat quietly with their eyes focused on a fixation point.