A novel simulation environment for cognitive human factors engineering research

The simulation environment used in cognitive Human Factors Engineering (HFE) research at RMIT University HFE-Lab is presented in this article. The simulation environment consists of Air Traffic Management (ATM) workstations including Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) features as well as pilot/remote pilot stations, including an immersive research flight simulator. Additional modules are used in cognitive HFE research for collecting and processing psycho-physiological data, and for scenario management. An overview of the simulation environment, including the network, modules and tools is presented. An experimental case study involving eye tracking and cardiorespiratory measures is presented to demonstrate the capabilities of the HFE-Lab as a research tool for cognitive ergonomics and HFE research.