Prototyping and Evaluation of a Virtual Tower Work Station

While Remote Tower Solutions are readily available, the smallest aerodromes with less revenue can rarely justify the cost to go remote. For this purpose, the DLR German Aerospace Centre is in the midst of creating a low-cost Remote Tower prototype, specifically for the smallest aerodromes. The DLR prototype combines two panoramic cameras and a Pan-Tilt-Zoom-camera (PTZ), which are visualised through a Head Mounted Device in Virtual Reality (VR). The VR immersion offers both the out-the-window view of a conventional tower, as well as all necessary workstation systems and interactions. While the PTZ-camera is controlled through a combination of head movements and a handheld controller, the User Interface (UI) is operated with hands-free interactions and gestures. 22 Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) and Aerodrome Flight Information Service Officers (AFISOs) tested the prototype in a validation study at DLR site. They stayed within the VR immersion for an hour, exploring the work station on their own, completing multiple tasks aimed to further deepen their knowledge of the camera controls and the User Interface, and observed live traffic of a local aerodrome in a passive shadow mode setting. During the immersion the ATCO or the AFISO was instructed to use the Think Aloud method to give direct feedback to the system. Cyber Sickness levels, the usability of the camera controls, the UI, and the system as a whole and specific potential future use cases were evaluated by standard questionnaires and a concluding interview. The feedback from both the Think Aloud Method and the following interview were analysed through a Qualitative Content Analysis regarding the ergonomics and usability of the prototype as well as the functionality as a work station. An immersion of one hour increases cybersickness slightly, but still within acceptable levels. While the UI and the system have a good usability, the PTZ controls are still lacking. Valuable points of improvement were identified.