A quantitative approach for determining pilot affective patterns during soaring flight simulation

The development of affective computing system for soaring flight simulation training requires a mechanism for determining pilot affective patterns. These patterns may be comprised of multiple elements, including emotion, pilot performance level, and physiological responses. This article proposes an approach to quantify these elements during the performance of flight training maneuvers. To validate this, a sample population of pilots performed flight tasks in a soaring flight simulator while wearing physiological sensors. Pilots reported subjective emotional stress using a 10-point numeric scale. A 5-point numeric scale was developed to transform flight task performance criteria into a unified scale. The use of common quantitative units for emotion and performance provides a simple mechanism for computational analysis and comparison of values that would otherwise be either qualitative (i.e. emotion) or measured in different units (i.e. flight tasks). The research provides a foundation and initial data set for the development of affective flight training systems that adapt to operator affect and performance in real-time. During analysis, asymmetric EDA responses were observed (left vs. right side sensors).