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Gaze-based interactions in the cockpit of the future: a survey

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Abstract

Flying an aircraft is a mentally demanding task where pilots must process a vast amount of visual, auditory and vestibular information. They have to control the aircraft by pulling, pushing and turning different knobs and levers, while knowing that mistakes in doing so can have fatal outcomes. Therefore, attempts to improve and optimize these interactions should not increase pilots’ mental workload. By utilizing pilots’ visual attention, gaze-based interactions provide an unobtrusive solution to this. This research is the first to actively involve pilots in the exploration of gaze-based interactions in the cockpit. By distributing a survey among 20 active commercial aviation pilots working for an internationally operating airline, the paper investigates pilots’ perception and needs concerning gaze-based interactions. The results build the foundation for future research, because they not only reflect pilots’ attitudes towards this novel technology, but also provide an overview of situations in which pilots need gaze-based interactions.

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Acknowledgements

First we would like to thank Michel Kölla and Benedikt Wagner for their support throughout the design, execution and evaluation of this study. We also thank all our participants, Christoph Ammann and SWISS International Air Lines Ltd. for their collaboration.

Funding

This study was partially funded by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) Switzerland under the Grant Number: 2014-142.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Cartography and Geoinformation, ETH Zurich, Stefano-Franscini-Platz 5, 8093, Zurich, Switzerland

    David Rudi, Peter Kiefer & Martin Raubal

  2. Research Group Geoinformation, Vienna University of Technology, Gusshausstrasse 27-29, 1040, Vienna, Austria

    Ioannis Giannopoulos

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  1. David Rudi
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  2. Peter Kiefer
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Correspondence to David Rudi.

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Study approved by ETH ethics committee (EK 2016-N-31). Participation was voluntary. Informed consents exist.

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Rudi, D., Kiefer, P., Giannopoulos, I. et al. Gaze-based interactions in the cockpit of the future: a survey. J Multimodal User Interfaces 14, 25–48 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12193-019-00309-8

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