In the cockpit of an A320 flight simulator, an eye-tracking system consisting of cameras and infrared sensors keeps constant track of where the pilot (left) is looking. (Image: David Rudi/ETH Zurich)
In a collaboration with Swiss International Air Lines, NASA and other partners, researchers at ETH Zurich have developed eye-tracking software for use in pilot training. This allows instructors to analyse the gaze behaviour of student pilots in the cockpit. Anyone who has ever sat in a cockpit will know how mentally challenging it is to pilot an aircraft. During a flight, pilots and copilots have to process an enormous quantity of visual, acoustic and spatial information. Keeping a constant eye on the numerous instruments in the cockpit is a strenuous task, as pilots must check the correct indicators during a manoeuvre - often in a specific order. This process of "scanning" the flight systems is something that pilots internalise during their training. But even for experienced instructors, it is hard to judge whether a student pilot is looking at the right instruments at the crucial moment.
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