Systematic design methodology for the human-machine interface of an aviation multifunctional control panel

<p>The article presents a methodology for designing frames of a multifunctional control panel, aimed at ensuring interface consistency when developed by independent specialists. Since these frames are often designed by multiple independent developers, the lack of a standardized approach leads to interface inconsistencies, complicating pilot training and reducing operational efficiency. The proposed methodology is based on hierarchical task analysis and includes stages such as function analysis, user story creation, task decomposition, frame design, simulator testing, and documentation generation. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the methodology's effectiveness, involving independent developers designing control panel frames. The results demonstrated that the methodology increased frame structure uniformity from 84% to 98%. Expert evaluations using the Saaty hierarchy analysis method assessed criteria such as navigation ease, data entry speed, and operator reliability. The findings revealed that frames developed with the methodology had a higher total weighted score (0.83 for the new version versus 0.17 for the old version developed without the methodology). Thus, the methodology enhances interface consistency, promotes pilot training, and improves ergonomic characteristics of MCDU. The study also introduces a novel permutation test-based method for identifying significant differences in binary matrix similarity within small sample groups.</p>