The Combat Automation Requirements Testbed (CART) Task 5 Interim Report: Modeling a Strike Fighter Pilot Conducting a Time Critical Target Mission

Abstract : The Combat Automation Requirements Testbed (CART) program is developing and demonstrating human performance modeling technology that can be used to design more effective crew systems. CART applies the task network modeling approach of the Army's Improved Performance Research Integration Tool (IMPRINT) and adds new functions called goals that enable more adaptive model performance and a High Level Architecture (HLA) interface for coupling with other simulations. This report documents the first application of CART modeling technology. A model of a strike fighter pilot conducting a time critical target (TCT) mission was developed and integrated with a strike fighter flight simulation that interacted with a Joint Integrated Mission Model (JIMM) TCT scenario. The pilot model was exercised in six TCT scenarios and eight pilots flew the same scenarios in a virtual version of the simulation. Overall, pilots found and destroyed the TCT 98% of the time. The model was successful 100% of the time. Comparison of pilots and the model on summary measures of key mission functions showed generally high correlation between pilot and model performance (Congruency Ratio = .78). The results suggest that human performance models can predict operator performance and provide important insight into operator issues in new systems.