AN INTEGRATED MEASUREMENT SYSTEM FOR THE STUDY OF HUMAN PERFORMANCE IN THE UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT

Abstract : The report describes a system to measure human mental and perceptual-motor functions at ambient pressures of up to 444 lb/in squared, equivalent to a depth of 1000 feet. Designed for use in the environmental chambers at the Navy Experimental Diving Unit, the subject's equipment will operate in wet or dry surroundings. The system permits remote administration and scoring of 26 specific tests ranging from simple reaction time to complex manual tracking, and from monitoring a simple display to solving difficult mental arithmetic and symbolic problems. As a formal test battery and general research tool, the system is expected to have extensive application in the areas of (1) specification of human underwater performance capabilities, (2) delineation of factors of the diving environment which affect performance, and (3) development of diver selection criteria. (Author)