Human Factors Analysis of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)

Irene M. Gonin, Myriam W. Smith, Robin Akerstrom-Hoffman, Steven Siegel and Carmine M. Pizzariello

Abstract:	The United States Coast Guard (USCG) has a continuing involvement in the development of standards for the design and regulation of Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS). The USCG has just completed a simulator experiment to examine the watchstanding officer’s use of ECDIS in harbor and harbor approaches. The main approach to this evaluation was to closely monitor mariners as they used ECDIS in a variety of realistic situations on a full-mission bridge simulator. The combination of off-the-shelf equipment and full- mission simulation allowed observations of ECDIS use in a realistic and demanding but controlled environment. Mariners each spent a full week on the simulator, making harbor transits with ECDIS configurations that differed in such critical features as position updating mode and radar overlay. Quantitative ship control data, which is characteristic of simulation experiments, was used. A variety of human factors techniques for measuring performance and operator reactions were also used. These included measures of workload (i.e. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Task Load Index - NASA TLX), situational awareness, ratings of safety and preference, and extensive questionnaires. The results of this experiment will assist in standards development,and the design and regulation of ECDIS.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 1993 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 20 - 22, 1993 Parc 55 Hotel San Francisco, CA
Pages:	225 - 232
Cite this article:	Gonin, Irene M., Smith, Myriam W., Akerstrom-Hoffman, Robin, Siegel, Steven, Pizzariello, Carmine M., "Human Factors Analysis of Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)," Proceedings of the 1993 National Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, San Francisco, CA, January 1993, pp. 225-232.
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