Information density is something that merits discussion, but it can be a point of high variability that is controlled by the size of the display and the amount actively displayed for
that
size. If you have flown with both a G500 display and a G1000 display, then you have noticed the difference between larger and smaller displays. Some Garmin displays add synthetic vision (Fig. 2) and miniature maps, both of which increase information density. Additional information such as true airspeed, ground speed, outside air temperature, wind direction, and GPS information further increase information density.
Helicopters with
autopilots include even more information. As you would expect, a significant correlation exists between the amount of screen clutter, missed alerts, and response time to alerts, especially during high workload situations (Moacdieh et al., 2013). However, increasing information density by adding synthetic vision has been shown to make a positive impact on situational awareness (Ellis et al., 2021).
PFDs have the potential to display a lot of information in a relatively small area in a way previously thought impossible.
The last major cognitive clues, color and highlighting, help emphasize information. The FAA provides guidance to standardize FPD colors in both regulations and advisory circulars. Several experiments have utilized eye-tracking software to track a pilot’s fixation on a particular part of the PFD. The number of times a pilot looked at a given area of the PFD, and the time a pilot spent looking at that area, was primarily influenced by the presence (or lack thereof) of distinct colored boxes surrounding information such as airspeed or heading that were being controlled by the autopilot. “Response time on cognitive processes was also shortened, as shown by the significant reduction in fixation duration on augmented PFDs in comparison to
traditional
PFDs.” (Li et al., 2020). The change in how often a pilot looked at different sections of the PFD can be seen in Figure 3 (Li et. al., 2020).
FIG. 2 66 Sep/Oct 2023
R44 with Garmin flight display system. Photo: Robinson Helicopter Company
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