The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded Nadine Sarter, the Richard W. Pew Collegiate Professor of Industrial and Operations Engineering (IOE), and her Human-Automation Interaction and Cognition (THInC) Lab in the U-M Center for Ergonomics a three-year, $1.1 million dollar grant to study information management on the flight deck of highly automated aircraft.
“This new project will help ensure the continued high safety level of air travel by analyzing how advanced information automation affects pilots with varying levels of experience during normal and non-normal flight operations and by identifying mitigation strategies to address information automation vulnerabilities,” said Sarter.
In addition to the important work advising the FAA, the research will also provide important opportunities for IOE students on the research team, helping them develop the skills needed to lead their own research studies in the future.
“The findings from this effort will benefit those involved in the design, evaluation and approval of next-generation aircraft systems, operations, procedures, and training,” said Sarter. “Importantly, the project will provide students with an opportunity to immerse themselves in a safety-critical application domain and conduct research on a pressing real-world challenge.”
Sarter was recently selected as a Member of the National Academies Transportation Research Board on ‘EmergingTrends in Aviation Safety’ and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering.
“I am honored to be part of this national committee that will identify emerging safety trends in air transportation and advise the Federal Aviation Administration,” said Sarter. “This work will be crucial in deciding whether available sources of safety data are sufficient and analyzed appropriately to monitor for potential safety concerns as the aviation system evolves.”
