Effect of Complexity and Frequency of Projected Symbology of Head-Up Display while Flying in Low Visibility

Operating an aircraft is a complex activity and thus requires accurate situational awareness (SA) in real-time. Implementation of Head-up displays (HUDs) in the cockpit enhanced the pilot's SA. But the continuous improvement of display and the addition of new technology increases the visual complexity, affects human performance, and causes accidents in high workload conditions. This study examines the effect of visual complexity on the pilot's event detection capability in low visibility conditions while varying the visual complexity with time. It is concluded visual complexity degrades the performance that can be improved by increasing the transition time of displayed information.