ABSTRACT
An experiment was conducted to compare a 2D radar with two 3D perspective radars. Pilots had to find target jets in a flight simulator under normal and high workload conditions (peak). Workload was measured with a rating scale for mental effort and with physiological measures (heart rate, blood pressure, respiration and eye blinks). Pilots performed best and reported the lowest effort with a 3D radar. The cardiovascular measures were increased under high workload, but were not affected by type of radar. These results suggest that the ratings not only encompassed effort but also the difficulty of the task. In contrast, physiological measures appear to reflect effort only.
Eye blinks (frequency, closure duration and amplitude) were sensitive to the visual demands of the task. In a detailed analysis, the results were compared to the vertical eye movements.
