ABSTRACT
Head-up displays (HUDs) are commonly used in military aviation, increasingly in commercial aviation, and are being considered for use in general aviation. In the last decade, a considerable amount of applied research has explored the phenomenon of ‘attention capture’ - the tendency for the pilot to pay attention to the display at the expense o f events in the outside world. Awareness of these events, such as the presence of other aircraft during flight, or runway obstacles during landing, are critical to the safe operation of the aircraft. In order to understand the effects of HUDs on visual attention, we reviewed and critically analysed the applied literature in the context of current theories of visual attention. By integrating data from applied studies with theories derived from basic laboratory research, it should be possible to improve both the design of HUDs and methods for training in their use to minimise their adverse effects on visual attention.
