Identification of the Workload Levels of Pilots During Flight Using Eye Movement Data Measured in an Aircraft Cockpit Model

Currently, the air environment in airplane cockpits usually remains constant during flight. This situation is not suitable for the varied workloads of pilots and often leads to complaints. Hence, creating a cockpit environment in which the air-supply parameters of the environmental control system can be auto-adjusted according to pilots' workloads is of primary importance. This study conducted an experiment to accurately identify the workloads of a pilot during flight in real time, by monitoring the eye movements of a male subject with flight experience in a full-scale cockpit model. In the experiment, calibrated eye tracking equipment was used to track the eye movements of the subject while he performed simulated flight tasks, and a number of parameters related to eye movement were analyzed to assess the subject's workloads. Finally, a model which describes the relationship between the eye movements of the subject and the corresponding workload levels was constructed. According to the results, the eye movement data of the subject effectively reflected his workload levels. The results of this study can serve as a foundation for future work to improve the cockpit environment for pilots at various workload levels based on their eye movement data.