Evaluating Blink Rate as a Dynamic Indicator of Mental Workload in a Flight Simulator

Simon Schwerd, Axel Schulte

2024

Abstract

This study assesses blink rate as a potential indicator for mental workload (MWL) in a dual task scenario in a flight simulator. Prior research indicated that blink rate decreases as mental workload increases across various tasks and domains. In our study, we aimed to determine if these findings are consistent in a dual task environment within a fast jet simulator. Furthermore, we evaluated blink rate fluctuations caused by the dynamic shifts in MWL as tasks are executed, switched, or completed. To investigate this, we executed a flight simulator experiment involving ten participants. They were tasked with two distinct activities: first, classifying air and ground targets, and second, maintaining a specific flight altitude. The results validated that blink rate decreases with increasing task difficulty. However, when a secondary task imposes significant workload, blink rates did not reliably indicate the primary task’s difficulty. We also found that the timing of spontaneous blinks was influenced by task completion and switches. Specifically, blink rates surged immediately after decision-making points and during transitions between tasks.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Schwerd S. and Schulte A. (2024). Evaluating Blink Rate as a Dynamic Indicator of Mental Workload in a Flight Simulator. In Proceedings of the 19th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications - Volume 1: HUCAPP; ISBN 978-989-758-679-8, SciTePress, pages 362-368. DOI: 10.5220/0012319100003660

in Bibtex Style

@conference{hucapp24,
author={Simon Schwerd and Axel Schulte},
title={Evaluating Blink Rate as a Dynamic Indicator of Mental Workload in a Flight Simulator},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 19th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications - Volume 1: HUCAPP},
year={2024},
pages={362-368},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0012319100003660},
isbn={978-989-758-679-8},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 19th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications - Volume 1: HUCAPP
TI - Evaluating Blink Rate as a Dynamic Indicator of Mental Workload in a Flight Simulator
SN - 978-989-758-679-8
AU - Schwerd S.
AU - Schulte A.
PY - 2024
SP - 362
EP - 368
DO - 10.5220/0012319100003660
PB - SciTePress