2002 journal article

Improved usability of aviation automation through direct manipulation and graphical user interface design

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AVIATION PSYCHOLOGY, 12(2), 153–178.

By: D. Kaber n, J. Riley & K. Tan

TL;DR: This article considers the application of foundational usability principles to aviation automation in the constrained context of FMS operations with specific examples detailing how principles could be achieved and used to address aviation automation issues. (via Semantic Scholar)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: August 6, 2018

Problems in advanced commercial aircraft pilot-flight management system (FMS) interaction through multifunction control display units (MCDUs) have been widely reported. Because this interaction plays an important role in ensuring aircraft safety, the MCDU should be designed to provide intuitive interfaces for ease of learning and use and to support pilot task performance in every aspect possible. Because of the increased complexity of computer-based systems, direct manipulation (DM) and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have been proposed as vehicles to facilitate user-friendly interface design for improved usability of computer-based systems. This article takes a systematic approach toward the usability analysis of MCDU design; specifically it considers the application of foundational usability principles to aviation automation. The properties and advantages of DM and GUI design are reviewed from the perspective of MCDU design. In addition, discussion is provided on a usability inspection conducted on the MCDU interface design by human factors professionals. After this, general human-computer interaction design guidelines and recommendations on aspects of DM and GUIs relevant to the interface of the MCDU are formulated on the basis of previous empirical or analytical studies. The implications of specific usability design principles on the MCDU design, as suggested in the literature and by the usability judges, are also discussed in the constrained context of FMS operations with specific examples detailing how principles could be achieved and used to address aviation automation issues.