Description: The limitations of current airspace management have necessitated the planning and development of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). NextGen seeks to change the fundamental structure of airspace management to increase the safety and efficiency of flight operations. This effort will require the introduction of advanced flight deck technologies capable of meeting NextGen requirements, such as assimilating weather information into navigation displays. To rigorously evaluate the effectiveness of these new human-machine interface designs, we propose the Use-driven Testbed for Evaluating Systems and Technologies (U-TEST). This proposed innovation will provide a platform for collecting and integrating human performance measures for evaluating NextGen technologies in simulated environments. At the core of U-TEST will be a data integration platform that combines multiple data streams (i.e. observer-based, system-based, and self-report measures), producing a comprehensive evaluation of pilot performance using novel systems and technologies. The 3D Cockpit Display of Traffic Information (CDTI) will serve as a vehicle for U-TEST development during this SBIR effort. System engineers can utilize the U-TEST environment to acquire rapid, comprehensive, and cost-effective feedback to inform the modification of emerging flight deck systems.

Benefits: U-TEST will appeal to groups external to NASA who are developing flight deck technologies aimed at NextGen integration. Research organizations (e.g. MITRE, FAA) and universities may also benefit from this application, as they are often interested in experimentation and publication of emerging technologies. In the future, U-TEST could also be applied toward evaluating military applications (e.g. Defense, Homeland Security, Intelligence), as well as commercial products such as automobiles and consumer electronics.