Effects of an Automated Conflict Solver on the Visual Activity of Air Traffic Controllers

ERASMUS is a “subliminal” automated aid system designed to reduce air traffic controllers' workload. Prior experiments showed that ERASMUS reduced subjective ratings of mental workload. In this article, the effect of ERASMUS on objective measures of controllers' visual activity was tested in a fully realistic simulation environment. The eye movements of 7 controllers were recorded during experimental traffic sequences, with and without ERASMUS. Consistent with a reduced workload hypothesis, results showed medium to large effects of ERASMUS on the amplitude of saccades, on the time spent gazing at aircraft, and on the distribution of attention over the visual scene.