UCLIC Seminar: Decision Support User Interfaces: The Role of (Electronic) Flight Strips in Air Traffic Management Decision Making

Speaker: Dr. Thomas Fraenzl, Frequentis, Austria
UCL Contact: Louise Gaynor (Visitors from outside UCL please email in advance).
Date/Time: 08 Feb 12, 16:00 - 17:00
Venue: R 233 Foster Court

Abstract

For many years, air traffic management research and development centers and manufacturers have intensified their efforts aimed at increasing controller productivity by proposing various new tools and new working methods. One of the leading ideas was to propose a new working method that eliminated the traditional, labour intensive paper flight progress strips with an integrated electronic solution.

There has been a marked reluctance by many air traffic controllers to replace their trusted manual procedure with an electronic tool. It is however widely recognized that one of the major inhibitors to improved controller workflow and productivity is the need for manual processing and distribution of paper based flight data within and between control units.

A complete renewal of methods and tools offers a great appeal for engineers and scientists but is prone to get stuck by operational acceptability difficulties and transition problems. Human-Computer-Interface specialists have investigated many available solutions offered by new technologies in order to substitute direct metaphoric artifacts for paper strips. They promise electronic integration either using direct electronic flight strip representations on auxiliary monitors or full integration of flight data information on surveillance radar screens. The recent introduction of new technologies particularly, integrated input-and-display devices such as interactive tablet screens have opened new perspectives on workflow and user interface design. From an operational point of view, it is indisputable that such new computer human interface technologies offer potential advantages and new possibilities for enhancing air traffic control working methods.

Electronic Flight Data systems will be part of integrated Decision Support Tools (DSTs) which build upon a set of integrated analysis, prediction, and optimisation functions. The DSTs provide custom depictions of data, analysis of options, warnings of problems, and suggestions for improving operations. They also support automated management processes and intelligent data distribution.

Electronic Flight Progress Strips could be seen as one of the essential information management tools in the path towards such end-to-end automation concepts.

Dr. Thomas Fraenzl

Thomas Fränzl is head of the User Interface Center of Frequentis Vienna. The focus of the Frequentis UIC is User Interface Design and Usability Engineering of safety critical applications for Air Traffic Management, Mission Control, Public Safety and Transportation.

After his education in computer engineering, air traffic control and user interface design, he completed his MBA with focus aviation. Amongst others his most challenging projects the last years were the design and integration of electronic flight strips for air traffic control.