Acquisition of pilots' visual information and cognitive processing in simulated flights

ZHAI Jia; WANG Qingmin; YAO Yongjie; YUAN Xiaoxia; LI Kehua

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2097-1753.2025.05.003

Abstract：Objective To analyze pilots' behavior related to visual information acquisition and cognitive processing during turning and landing of simulated flights.Methods Forty-two male pilots performed the designated flight mission in the same simulator.Data on their eye movement was recorded using an SMI eye tracker,and the fixation durations in each area of interest(AOI)across different stages were statistically analyzed.Results During turning,there was a statistically significant difference in the median fixation duration of the subjects on graphic and digital AOIs(Z=-2.737,P=0.006).Participants' fixation durations on lower AOIs were longer than on upper AOIs(P=0.043)and on right AOIs(P＜0.001),and fixation durations on central AOIs were longer than on right ones(P=0.015).However,there was no significant difference in durations between the subjects' fixation on the external runway and on the first fixation point when shifting back to the instrument panel(both P＞0.05).Besides,there was statistically significant difference in the median fixation duration between the first fixation point when the subjects shifted back to the instrument panel and other AOIs of the instrument(Z=-3.036,P=0.002).During landing,participants exhibited longer fixation durations on the runway centerline than on the instrument panel(P=0.008).Conclusion Pilots pay more attention to graphic AOIs,lower AOIs,central AOIs,and the first fixation point when shifting back to the instrument panel during turning,but they focus their attention on aligning with the runway during landing,suggesting that the design of human-machine interaction interfaces can be optimized by taking actual flights into consideration.