An eye catcher in the atc domain: influence of multiple remote tower operations on distribution of eye movements

Abstract

The future of Remote Tower Operations is focusing on the development and implementation of the Multiple Remote Tower Operations (MRTO) which allows for monitoring and controlling several aerodromes in parallel. While Single Remote Tower Operations have already become reality, the implementation of MRTO poses a significant change in Air Traffic Control Officers’ (ATCOs) workflow, especially in terms of work situations, responsibilities and challenges. Even though MRTO brings along the potential to reduce the risk for human error due to boredom and also helps financially stabilize smaller airports, it might increase workload. Yet the changes to workload of an ATCO have to be carefully addressed and analyzed. The ATCOs’ mental workload is connected to the ability to maintain a stable “picture” of the situation. This picture is generated from all the information gathered in monitoring the MRTO workstation. In order to analyze the influence that MRTO has on ATCOs’ process of gathering information, we collected eye-tracking data from different experiments that varied in traffic and workplace designs. In addition to the eye-tracking we used the subjective rating scale ISA to measure the perceived workload. Only professional ATCOs participated in our real time simulation study. This paper focuses on the analysis of gaze distribution and gaze pattern while handling simulated traffic. The analysis concentrated on, first, the influence of the workplace design on the information gathering process and second, the measurements of workload by eye-tracking and subjective rating. The results present eye-tracking behavior of the participants in a descriptive manner because statistical conditions for inferential statistics are not met. The discussion shows the impact of MRTO on the ATCOs’ workflow in comparison to single remote or conventional tower environments.