ASANA: A VR-Based Simulation for Assessing Spatial Ability and Situational Awareness in Naval Aviation

Achieving and maintaining situational awareness (SA) is crucial in naval aviation. Traditional methods of measuring spatial ability (SpA) and SA rely on static, two-dimensional tasks that often fail to capture real-world complexity. To address this, we developed the Assessing Spatial Abilities in Naval Aviation (ASANA) simulation–an immersive virtual reality (VR) platform to evaluate SA and SpA under dynamic conditions. In ASANA, participants navigate three-dimensional landscapes, rotating maps, and aerial waypoints while responding to environmental changes, such as adverse weather. Continuous physiological measures—heart rate variability, galvanic skin response, and eye-tracking—provide real-time and physiologically grounded insights into cognitive states. SAGAT queries assess SpA-relevant perception, comprehension, and projection. By comparing ASANA performance with traditional SpA metrics and analyzing physiological and cognitive ability indicators, we aim to identify key predictors of SA as it dynamically develops, a current need in the literature and applications alike.